Qatar's Short Race and Main Event Qualifying: Live Coverage
Introduction
Philip is arriving soon to cover today's sprint race (14:00 GMT) and qualifying (18:00 GMT).
Live Feed
Warm-Up Lap Period
The formation lap has started.
Track Information
There are 19 laps of the longest circuit in F1, David Croft points out.
Final Moments
The countdown is on.
Driver Situation
One point in Max Verstappen's advantage: his fellow driver Tsunoda is ahead of him by one place. It's improbable to mess with the team's lead driver.
Media Conversations
Sky interviewing Sky currently: the analyst is with Mercedes.
Karun Chandhok is jumping ahead to 2026, speaking with the engineer about his promotion to the team lead role.
Grid Details
Just 16 cars on the grid. It was another poor grid-setting session for Lewis Hamilton: following his result of 20th and last in Las Vegas, leading to 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 as a result made changes to his car configuration and so he begins from the starting area.
Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and the Alpine duo of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all doing likewise.
Racer Statements
"We take the learning for tomorrow," states Hadjar, 11th on the grid. Expect plenty of learning.
Constructors' Championship
It's not all about the individual championship: The team have run away with the constructors' gong but the team, with a forty-point advantage over Red Bull, will be hoping to seal second place during this event. Russell can assist in this goal from the front row, and Kimi Antonelli will begin immediately after Verstappen.
Past Performance
Piastri was victorious then – as he managed last year, too. McLaren's Australian is going for a hat-trick.
Short Race Importance
Alright, just over 20 minutes to go until the sprint race gets under way. Unless something goes wrong, its main importance is as an indication of what is to come, rather than highly important in its itself, with only eight points awarded to the winner. However, second place here was sufficient for the driver to claim the title in a prior season.
Max Verstappen claimed the championship following his teammate's accident of the short race.
