Qatar Short Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Real-Time Coverage
Opening Notes
Our correspondent will be here shortly to guide you through today's sprint race (2pm GMT) and qualifying (6pm).
Live Feed
Starting Lap Time
The starting lap has started.
Track Information
There are nineteen laps around the lengthiest track in Formula One, the commentator points out.
Countdown
The countdown is underway.
Racer Positions
An advantage in Max Verstappen's advantage: his teammate Tsunoda is ahead of him by one place. He is unlikely to mess with the team's lead driver.
Media Conversations
Sky's internal discussion currently: Gary Neville is with Mercedes.
Karun Chandhok is jumping ahead to the 2026 season, speaking with the engineer about his stepping up to the team team principal.
Starting Positions
There are only 16 cars on the grid. It was another bad qualifying for the driver: following his result of 20th and last in the previous race, leading to an eighth-place finish in the grand prix, he failed to make it out of Q1 again on the previous day. The team have as a result made changes to his setup and so he begins from the starting area.
Aston Martin's Stroll and the Alpine pair of Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all doing likewise.
Driver Comments
"We take the learning for tomorrow," says Hadjar, 11th on the grid. Expect a lot of that.
Team Standings
It's not all about the individual championship: The team have dominated the team championship but the team, with a forty-point advantage over their rivals, will be hoping to seal second place during this event. Russell can assist in this goal from second place, and Kimi Antonelli will start just behind Verstappen.
Past Performance
Piastri was victorious then – as he did last year, as well. McLaren's Australian is going for a third consecutive win.
Short Race Importance
Alright, approximately 20 minutes to go till the short race begins. Unless something goes wrong, it's greatest value is as a preview of what is to come, rather than highly important in its itself, with only eight points awarded to the winner. However, the runner-up spot in this race was sufficient for Verstappen to become champion in a prior season.
The driver claimed the championship following Pérez crashes out of the short race.