Qatar's Short Race and Grand Prix Grid Setting: Real-Time Coverage
Introduction
Philip is about to begin to take you through this day's sprint race (2pm GMT) and qualifying (6pm).
Current Events
Starting Lap Period
The warm-up lap has begun.
Track Information
There are 19 laps of the longest circuit in F1, David Croft informs us.
Final Moments
The countdown is underway.
Driver Situation
One point in Max Verstappen's advantage: his fellow driver Tsunoda is ahead of him by a single position. He is unlikely to challenge Red Bull's lead driver.
Interview Updates
Sky speaking with Sky now: the analyst is with Mercedes.
Karun Chandhok is jumping ahead to 2026, interviewing the engineer about his promotion to Aston Martin lead role.
Grid Details
There are only sixteen vehicles on the grid. This followed 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 failed to advance 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 Stroll and the Alpine duo of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all doing likewise.
Driver Comments
"We take the experience for the next day," says Isack Hadjar, starting eleventh. Expect a lot of that.
Constructors' Championship
The focus isn't solely on the drivers' title: McLaren have dominated the team championship but the team, with a forty-point advantage over Red Bull, are aiming to secure the runner-up position this weekend. George Russell can assist in this goal from the front row, and Antonelli will start just behind Verstappen.
Previous Results
Oscar Piastri won that day – as he did the previous season, too. McLaren's Australian is attempting a hat-trick.
Sprint Race Value
Alright, approximately 20 minutes to go until the short race gets under way. Unless something goes wrong, its main importance is as a preview of what is to come, instead of highly important in its itself, with just eight championship points awarded to the winner. However, the runner-up spot in this race was sufficient for the driver to become champion in a prior season.
Max Verstappen claimed F1 world title following his teammate's accident of the short race.
