Qatar's Sprint Race and Main Event Qualifying: Live Coverage
Opening Notes
The author is about to begin to cover this day's short race (2pm GMT) and grid-setting session (18:00 GMT).
Current Events
Formation Lap Period
The starting lap is underway.
Track Information
There are 19 laps of the longest circuit in Formula 1, the commentator reminds us.
Final Moments
The countdown has begun.
Racer Positions
An advantage in Max Verstappen's favour: his teammate Tsunoda is ahead of him by one place. It's improbable to challenge Red Bull's lead driver.
Media Conversations
Sky interviewing Sky now: the analyst is with Mercedes.
The analyst is looking forward to 2026, interviewing the engineer about his promotion to the team lead role.
Grid Details
Just sixteen vehicles on the grid. This followed another poor grid-setting session for the driver: following his result of twentieth and final in the previous race, resulting in an eighth position in the grand prix, he did not manage to make it out of the first qualifying segment once more on the previous day. The team have consequently made changes to his car configuration and so he begins from the pit lane.
Aston Martin's Stroll and the Alpine pair of Gasly and Colapinto are all starting from the same position.
Racer Statements
"We take the learning for tomorrow," states Hadjar, starting eleventh. Expect a lot of that.
Constructors' Championship
The focus isn't solely on the individual championship: The team have run away with the team championship but the team, with a forty-point advantage over their rivals, will be hoping to secure the runner-up position this weekend. George Russell can assist in this goal from second place, and Kimi Antonelli will start just behind Verstappen.
Past Performance
Piastri won that day – as he did the previous season, as well. The driver from McLaren is attempting a hat-trick.
Short Race Importance
Right, just over twenty minutes to go till the short race begins. Unless something goes wrong, its main importance is as a preview of what is to come, rather than highly important in its own right, with just eight championship points available to the winner. However, second place in this race was enough for the driver to become champion two years ago.
The driver wins the championship after his teammate's accident of the short race.
