Qatar's Sprint Race and Grand Prix Qualifying: Live Updates
Opening Notes
The author is about to begin to take you through this day's short race (2pm GMT) and qualifying (6pm).
Real-Time Updates
Warm-Up Lap Period
The warm-up lap is underway.
Track Information
There are nineteen laps of the longest circuit in Formula One, David Croft points out.
Countdown
The countdown has begun.
Racer Positions
One point in Max Verstappen's favour: his fellow driver Tsunoda is in front of him by a single position. He is unlikely to interfere with the team's lead driver.
Interview Updates
Sky interviewing Sky now: Gary Neville is at the Mercedes team.
The analyst is looking forward to the 2026 season, speaking with the engineer about his promotion to Aston Martin lead role.
Starting Positions
Just 16 cars on the grid. It was another bad qualifying for Lewis Hamilton: after coming twentieth and final in Las Vegas, leading to an eighth-place finish in the main race, he did not manage to make it out of Q1 again on the previous day. Ferrari have consequently made changes to his car configuration and so he will start from the starting area.
The team's Stroll and the Alpine pair of Pierre Gasly and Colapinto are all doing likewise.
Driver Comments
"We take the learning for the next day," says Hadjar, starting eleventh. There will be a lot of that.
Constructors' Championship
It's not all about the drivers' title: The team have run away with the team championship but Mercedes, with a forty-point advantage over Red Bull, are aiming to secure the runner-up position during this event. George Russell can help them achieve that from second place, and Antonelli will begin immediately after Verstappen.
Past Performance
Piastri won that day – as he did last year, too. The driver from McLaren is attempting a third consecutive win.
Short Race Importance
Right, approximately twenty 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, instead of significant in its itself, with just eight championship points available to the winner. Mind you, second place in this race was sufficient for Verstappen to claim the title in a prior season.
The driver claimed the championship after Pérez crashes out of the short race.
