Qatar Short Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Real-Time Updates
Opening Notes
Philip is arriving soon to guide you through this day's short race (14:00 GMT) and grid-setting session (18:00 GMT).
Live Feed
Starting Lap Period
The warm-up lap has begun.
Track Information
There are 19 laps of the longest circuit in Formula 1, the commentator points out.
Countdown
The final countdown is underway.
Driver Situation
One point in Verstappen's favour: his teammate Yuki Tsunoda is ahead of him by one place. He is unlikely to interfere with Red Bull's lead driver.
Media Conversations
Sky interviewing Sky currently: Gary Neville is with Mercedes.
Karun Chandhok is jumping ahead to the 2026 season, speaking with the engineer about his promotion to Aston Martin lead role.
Grid Details
There are only sixteen vehicles on the grid. It was another poor grid-setting session for Lewis Hamilton: after coming twentieth and final in the previous race, leading to an eighth-place finish in the grand prix, he failed to make it out of the first qualifying segment once more on the previous day. Ferrari have as a result made changes to his car configuration and so he begins from the pit lane.
Aston Martin's Stroll and the Alpine duo of Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all doing likewise.
Racer Statements
"We take the learning for tomorrow," says Isack Hadjar, 11th on the grid. There will be plenty of learning.
Team Standings
The focus isn't solely on the individual championship: McLaren have run away with the constructors' gong but the team, with a forty-point advantage over their rivals, are aiming to seal second place during this event. George Russell can help them achieve that from second place, and Antonelli will start just behind Verstappen.
Past Performance
Oscar Piastri won that day ā as he did the previous season, too. The driver from McLaren is going for a hat-trick.
Short Race Importance
Right, just over twenty minutes to go till 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 own right, with just eight championship points awarded to the winner. Mind you, second place here was enough for Verstappen to claim the title in a prior season.
Max Verstappen claimed the championship following his teammate's accident of Qatar GP sprint race.
