Qatar's Short Race and Grand Prix Grid Setting: Live Coverage
Opening Notes
Philip will be here shortly to take you through this day's sprint race (14:00 GMT) and qualifying (6pm).
Current Events
Warm-Up Lap Time
The starting lap has started.
Track Information
We have 19 laps of the longest circuit in Formula 1, the commentator reminds us.
Final Moments
The last moments is underway.
Racer Positions
One point in Verstappen's favour: his teammate Yuki Tsunoda is ahead of him by one place. He is unlikely to mess with the team's lead driver.
Interview Updates
Sky interviewing Sky currently: the analyst is at the Mercedes team.
The analyst is looking forward to the 2026 season, speaking with the engineer about his promotion to Aston Martin team principal.
Grid Details
Just sixteen vehicles on the grid. It was another bad qualifying for the driver: after coming twentieth and final in the previous race, leading to an eighth-place finish in the main race, he did not manage to make it out of the first qualifying segment once more on the previous day. Ferrari have consequently made changes to his car configuration and so he will start from the starting area.
Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and the Alpine pair of Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all doing likewise.
Racer Statements
"We take the learning for the next day," says Hadjar, starting eleventh. There will be a lot of that.
Constructors' Championship
The focus isn't solely on the individual championship: The team have dominated the team championship but the team, with a forty-point advantage over Red Bull, will be hoping to secure the runner-up position during this event. Russell can help them achieve that from second place, and Antonelli will begin immediately after the leader.
Past Performance
Piastri was victorious then – as he did last year, as well. The driver from McLaren is attempting a hat-trick.
Short Race Importance
Right, approximately 20 minutes to go until the short race begins. Unless something goes wrong, it's greatest value is as a preview of what is to come, instead of highly important in its own right, with only eight points available to the winner. However, the runner-up spot here was enough for the driver to claim the title in a prior season.
The driver wins the championship following Pérez crashes out of the short race.
