Qatar's Short Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Live Updates
Preamble
The author is arriving soon to take you through today's sprint race (14:00 GMT) and grid-setting session (6pm).
Current Events
Starting Lap Time
The warm-up lap has started.
Circuit Details
We have nineteen laps around the lengthiest track in F1, David Croft points out.
Countdown
The countdown has begun.
Racer Positions
One point in Max Verstappen's favour: his fellow driver Yuki Tsunoda is in front of him by one place. It's improbable to interfere with the team's main man.
Interview Updates
Sky speaking with Sky currently: the analyst is at the Mercedes team.
Karun Chandhok is jumping ahead to the 2026 season, interviewing the engineer about his stepping up to Aston Martin team principal.
Starting Positions
There are only 16 cars on the grid. This followed 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 advance of the first qualifying segment once more on the previous day. Ferrari have as a result made changes to his setup and so he begins from the starting area.
The team's Lance Stroll and the Alpine pair of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all starting from the same position.
Driver Comments
"We'll use the learning for tomorrow," states Hadjar, 11th on the grid. Expect plenty of learning.
Constructors' Championship
The focus isn't solely on the drivers' title: McLaren have dominated the team championship but Mercedes, with a forty-point advantage over Red Bull, are aiming to secure the runner-up position during this event. George Russell can help them achieve that from the front row, and Kimi Antonelli will begin immediately after the leader.
Past Performance
Piastri was victorious then – as he managed last year, as well. The driver from McLaren is attempting a hat-trick.
Sprint Race Value
Right, just over 20 minutes to go until the sprint race begins. Unless something goes wrong, its main importance is as an indication of what is to come, instead of highly important in its own right, with just eight championship points available to the victor. However, the runner-up spot here was enough for Verstappen to claim the title two years ago.
Max Verstappen claimed F1 world title following his teammate's accident of the short race.
