Qatar's Short Race and Main Event Qualifying: Live Coverage
Preamble
Our correspondent will be here shortly to guide you through today's sprint race (14:00 GMT) and qualifying (6pm).
Current Events
Starting Lap Time
The warm-up lap has begun.
Circuit Details
We have 19 laps of the longest circuit in Formula 1, David Croft points out.
Countdown
The last moments is on.
Driver Situation
An advantage in Verstappen's favour: his fellow driver Yuki Tsunoda is in front of him by one place. It's improbable to mess with Red Bull's main man.
Media Conversations
Sky's internal discussion now: the analyst is with Mercedes.
The analyst is jumping ahead to 2026, speaking with Adrian Newey about his promotion to the team lead role.
Starting Positions
Just 16 cars on the grid. It was another bad qualifying for the driver: following his result of twentieth and final in Las Vegas, leading to an eighth position in the main race, he did not manage to make it out of the first qualifying segment once more on Friday. The team have consequently made changes to his car configuration and so he begins from the starting area.
Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and the Alpine duo of Gasly and Colapinto are all starting from the same position.
Racer Statements
"We take the learning for the next day," says Isack Hadjar, 11th on the grid. There will be plenty of learning.
Team Standings
It's not all about the individual championship: The team 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 help them achieve that from second place, and Kimi Antonelli will start just behind Verstappen.
Previous Results
Oscar Piastri won that day – as he managed last year, too. McLaren's Australian is going for a third consecutive win.
Sprint Race Value
Right, just over twenty minutes remaining until the short race begins. Unless something goes wrong, it's greatest value is as an indication of future events, rather than highly important in its itself, with only eight points awarded to the winner. Mind you, the runner-up spot in this race was enough for Verstappen to claim the title two years ago.
Max Verstappen wins F1 world title after Pérez crashes out of Qatar GP sprint race.