Qatar Short Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Real-Time Updates
Preamble
Our correspondent will be here shortly to guide you through today's short race (14:00 GMT) and qualifying (6pm).
Live Feed
Warm-Up Lap Period
The formation lap is underway.
Track Information
There are 19 laps around the lengthiest track in F1, David Croft reminds us.
Countdown
The countdown is on.
Racer Positions
An advantage in Verstappen's favour: his teammate Yuki Tsunoda is ahead of him by a single position. He is unlikely to interfere with the team's main man.
Interview Updates
Sky's internal discussion now: the analyst is at the Mercedes team.
The analyst is jumping ahead to the 2026 season, interviewing Adrian Newey about his stepping up to Aston Martin team principal.
Grid Details
There are only sixteen vehicles on the grid. It was another bad qualifying for the driver: after coming twentieth and final in Las Vegas, resulting in an eighth-place finish in the grand prix, he failed to advance of Q1 once more on Friday. The team have consequently made changes to his setup and so he begins from the starting area.
Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and the Alpine pair of Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all starting from the same position.
Racer Statements
"We take the experience for tomorrow," says Isack Hadjar, 11th on the grid. Expect a lot of that.
Constructors' Championship
The focus isn't solely on the drivers' title: McLaren have run away with the team championship but the team, with a forty-point advantage 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 Antonelli will start just behind Verstappen.
Previous Results
Piastri was victorious then – as he managed the previous season, as well. McLaren's Australian is going for a third consecutive win.
Sprint Race Value
Alright, approximately twenty minutes to go until the sprint race begins. Barring disaster, it's greatest value is as a preview of future events, rather than significant in its itself, with only eight points available to the winner. However, second place in this race was sufficient for the driver to claim the title two years ago.
The driver wins F1 world title after Pérez crashes out of the short race.
