Qatar's Short Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Live Updates
Opening Notes
Our correspondent is arriving soon to guide you through today's sprint race (2pm GMT) and qualifying (18:00 GMT).
Current Events
Starting Lap Time
The warm-up lap has begun.
Track Information
We have nineteen laps around the lengthiest track in F1, the commentator informs us.
Countdown
The final countdown has begun.
Driver Situation
An advantage in Verstappen's advantage: his fellow driver Yuki Tsunoda is in front of him by a single position. He is unlikely to mess with Red Bull's main man.
Media Conversations
Sky interviewing Sky now: Gary Neville is with Mercedes.
The analyst is looking forward to the 2026 season, interviewing Adrian Newey about his stepping up to Aston Martin lead role.
Starting Positions
There are only sixteen vehicles on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for the driver: after coming 20th and last in the previous race, leading to an eighth-place finish in the main race, he failed to advance of Q1 once more on Friday. Ferrari have as a result made changes to his setup and so he will start from the pit lane.
The team's Stroll and the Alpine duo of Gasly and Colapinto are all starting from the same position.
Driver Comments
"We'll use the experience for tomorrow," says Hadjar, 11th on the grid. There will be plenty of learning.
Constructors' Championship
It's not all about the drivers' title: McLaren have run away with the team championship but the team, with a forty-point advantage over their rivals, will be hoping to secure the runner-up position this weekend. George Russell can help them achieve that from second place, and Antonelli will start just behind Verstappen.
Previous Results
Piastri won that day – as he managed last year, too. The driver from McLaren is going for a hat-trick.
Short Race Importance
Alright, just over twenty minutes remaining till the short race gets under way. Barring disaster, its main importance is as an indication of future events, instead of highly important in its own right, with just eight championship points awarded to the winner. Mind you, second place in this race was sufficient for Verstappen to claim the title in a prior season.
The driver wins F1 world title following Pérez crashes out of the short race.
