Qatar's Short Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Real-Time Coverage
Introduction
The author will be here shortly to guide you through this day's short race (14:00 GMT) and grid-setting session (18:00 GMT).
Live Feed
Formation Lap Period
The starting lap is underway.
Circuit Details
We have 19 laps of the longest circuit in Formula One, the commentator points out.
Countdown
The last moments is underway.
Racer Positions
An advantage in Verstappen's advantage: his teammate Yuki Tsunoda is in front of him by a single position. He is unlikely to challenge the team's lead driver.
Interview Updates
Sky's internal discussion now: Gary Neville is at the Mercedes team.
The analyst is jumping ahead to the 2026 season, interviewing Adrian Newey about his promotion to the team lead role.
Starting Positions
Just sixteen vehicles on the grid. It was another bad qualifying for Lewis Hamilton: following his result of 20th and last in Las Vegas, resulting in an eighth position in the grand prix, he failed to make it out of the first qualifying segment again on Friday. Ferrari have as a result made changes to his car configuration and so he will start from the starting area.
The team's Stroll and the Alpine duo of Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all starting from the same position.
Racer Statements
"We take the learning for the next day," states Isack Hadjar, starting eleventh. Expect a lot of that.
Team Standings
It's not all about the drivers' title: McLaren have dominated the constructors' gong but Mercedes, with a forty-point advantage over Red Bull, are aiming to seal second place during this event. George Russell can assist in this goal from the front row, and Kimi Antonelli will start just behind the leader.
Past Performance
Oscar Piastri won that day – as he managed last year, too. McLaren's Australian is attempting a hat-trick.
Sprint Race Value
Right, just over 20 minutes to go until the sprint race gets under way. Unless something goes wrong, its main importance is as a preview of future events, rather than highly important in its itself, with just eight championship points awarded to the winner. However, second place in this race was enough for the driver to become champion in a prior season.
The driver wins F1 world title following Pérez crashes out of the short race.
