Qatar Short Race and Grand Prix Qualifying: Live Updates
Opening Notes
The author is about to begin to guide you through this day's sprint race (14:00 GMT) and qualifying (6pm).
Current Events
Warm-Up Lap Time
The starting lap is underway.
Circuit Details
We have 19 laps around the lengthiest track in Formula One, the commentator points out.
Countdown
The last moments is underway.
Racer Positions
An advantage in Verstappen's favour: his fellow driver Tsunoda is ahead of him by one place. It's improbable to challenge the team's main man.
Media Conversations
Sky speaking with Sky currently: Gary Neville is at the Mercedes team.
The analyst is looking forward to the 2026 season, speaking with Adrian Newey about his stepping up to Aston Martin lead role.
Grid Details
There are only sixteen vehicles on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for Lewis Hamilton: following his result of twentieth and final in Las Vegas, resulting in an eighth-place finish in the main race, he failed to advance of Q1 once more on the previous day. The team have as a result made changes to his car configuration and so he begins from the starting area.
The team's Lance Stroll and the Alpine duo of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all doing likewise.
Driver Comments
"We take the experience for tomorrow," says Hadjar, starting eleventh. There will be a lot of that.
Team Standings
It's not all about the drivers' title: The team have dominated the constructors' gong but Mercedes, with a forty-point advantage over their rivals, are aiming to seal second place during this event. Russell can help them achieve that from the front row, and Antonelli will begin immediately after the leader.
Previous Results
Piastri was victorious then – as he did last year, too. McLaren's Australian is attempting a third consecutive win.
Short Race Importance
Right, approximately twenty minutes to go until the sprint race begins. Barring disaster, it's greatest value is as a preview of future events, rather than highly important in its own right, with just eight championship points available to the victor. However, second place in this race was sufficient for the driver to become champion in a prior season.
Max Verstappen wins F1 world title following his teammate's accident of the short race.
