Qatar Short Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Real-Time Updates
Preamble
Our correspondent is about to begin to guide you through today's short race (2pm GMT) and qualifying (6pm).
Live Feed
Starting Lap Time
The formation lap has begun.
Circuit Details
There are 19 laps of the longest circuit in Formula 1, the commentator points out.
Final Moments
The final countdown is on.
Racer Positions
An advantage in Verstappen's advantage: his teammate Tsunoda is ahead of him by one place. It's improbable to mess with the team's lead driver.
Interview Updates
Sky interviewing Sky now: Gary Neville is with Mercedes.
The analyst is looking forward to 2026, speaking with the engineer about his stepping up to the team team principal.
Grid Details
There are only 16 cars on the grid. This followed another poor grid-setting session for the driver: after coming twentieth and final in the previous race, leading to an eighth-place finish in the main race, he did not manage to advance of Q1 once more on Friday. The team 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 pair of Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all starting from the same position.
Driver Comments
"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 drivers' title: The team have run away with the team championship but Mercedes, with a 40-point lead over Red Bull, will be hoping to secure the runner-up position during this event. Russell can help them achieve that from the front row, and Kimi Antonelli will begin immediately after the leader.
Previous Results
Oscar Piastri won that day – as he managed the previous season, too. The driver from McLaren is going for a third consecutive win.
Short Race Importance
Alright, just over 20 minutes remaining till the short race gets under way. Unless something goes wrong, it's greatest value is as an indication of what is to come, rather than highly important in its own right, with only eight points awarded to the winner. Mind you, second place in this race was enough for Verstappen to claim the title two years ago.
The driver claimed F1 world title after Pérez crashes out of Qatar GP sprint race.
