Qatar's Short Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Live Updates
Preamble
The author is about to begin to cover this day's short race (14:00 GMT) and grid-setting session (18:00 GMT).
Real-Time Updates
Starting Lap Period
The starting lap has begun.
Circuit Details
We have 19 laps of the longest circuit in Formula One, the commentator informs us.
Final Moments
The countdown is underway.
Racer Positions
One point in Max Verstappen's advantage: his teammate Yuki Tsunoda is ahead of him by one place. It's improbable to challenge the team's lead driver.
Media Conversations
Sky interviewing Sky currently: Gary Neville is at the Mercedes team.
The analyst is jumping ahead to 2026, interviewing Adrian Newey about his promotion to the team team principal.
Starting Positions
Just 16 cars on the grid. It was another poor grid-setting session for Lewis Hamilton: following his result of 20th and last in Las Vegas, resulting in an eighth-place finish in the main race, he failed to make it out of Q1 once more on Friday. Ferrari have consequently made changes to his setup and so he will start from the pit lane.
Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and the Alpine duo of Gasly and Colapinto are all starting from the same position.
Racer Statements
"We take the learning for the next day," says Isack Hadjar, 11th on the grid. There will be a lot of that.
Team Standings
The focus isn't solely on the drivers' title: The team have run away with the team championship but the team, with a 40-point lead over Red Bull, will be hoping to seal second place during this event. George Russell can help them achieve that from second place, and Antonelli will begin immediately after Verstappen.
Past Performance
Oscar Piastri won that day – as he managed the previous season, too. McLaren's Australian is attempting a third consecutive win.
Sprint Race Value
Right, approximately 20 minutes remaining until the short race gets under way. Unless something goes wrong, its main importance is as an indication of what is to come, rather than highly important in its itself, with only eight points awarded to the winner. However, second place in this race was enough for Verstappen to become champion in a prior season.
Max Verstappen wins F1 world title after Pérez crashes out of the short race.
