Qatar's Short Race and Main Event Qualifying: Real-Time Coverage
Opening Notes
The author is about to begin to take you through this day's sprint race (2pm GMT) and grid-setting session (18:00 GMT).
Real-Time Updates
Warm-Up Lap Period
The starting lap has started.
Circuit Details
We have 19 laps of the longest circuit in Formula One, the commentator points out.
Final Moments
The final countdown has begun.
Racer Positions
One point in Verstappen's advantage: his teammate Tsunoda is in front of him by a single position. It's improbable to mess with Red Bull's lead driver.
Interview Updates
Sky's internal discussion currently: the analyst is at the Mercedes team.
Karun Chandhok is jumping ahead to 2026, interviewing the engineer about his promotion to the team lead role.
Starting Positions
There are only 16 cars on the grid. It was another bad qualifying for the driver: following his result of 20th and last in Las Vegas, leading to an eighth-place finish in the main race, he failed to make it out of the first qualifying segment once more on the previous day. The team have consequently made changes to his setup 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 the next day," states Hadjar, 11th on the grid. Expect a lot of that.
Team Standings
The focus isn't solely on the individual championship: McLaren have dominated the team championship but the team, with a forty-point advantage over their rivals, are aiming to seal second place this weekend. George Russell can assist in this goal from second place, and Antonelli will start just behind Verstappen.
Past Performance
Oscar Piastri was victorious then – as he managed last year, too. The driver from McLaren is going for a third consecutive win.
Short Race Importance
Right, just over twenty minutes to go until the sprint race begins. Unless something goes wrong, it's greatest value is as an indication of future events, rather than significant in its own right, with just eight championship points awarded to the victor. However, the runner-up spot here was enough for Verstappen to claim the title in a prior season.
The driver wins F1 world title after Pérez crashes out of Qatar GP sprint race.
