Qatar Short Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Live Updates

Preamble

Philip is arriving soon to guide you through this day's short race (2pm GMT) and grid-setting session (6pm).

Current Events

Formation Lap Time

The warm-up lap is underway.

Circuit Details

We have 19 laps of the longest circuit in F1, David Croft points out.

Countdown

The countdown is underway.

Driver Situation

One point in Verstappen's advantage: his teammate Yuki Tsunoda is in front of him by one place. He is unlikely to mess with the team's main man.

Interview Updates

Sky speaking with Sky currently: the analyst is with Mercedes.

The analyst is looking forward to the 2026 season, interviewing Adrian Newey about his stepping up to Aston Martin lead role.

Starting Positions

There are only sixteen vehicles on the grid. This followed another poor grid-setting session for the driver: after coming twentieth and final in the previous race, leading to an eighth-place finish in the main race, he failed to make it out of Q1 again on the previous day. The team have consequently made changes to his setup and so he begins from the pit lane.

The team's Lance Stroll and the Alpine duo of Pierre Gasly and Colapinto are all doing likewise.

Driver Comments

"We take the learning for the next day," says Hadjar, 11th on the grid. Expect plenty of learning.

Constructors' Championship

The focus isn't solely on the drivers' title: McLaren have run away with the team championship but Mercedes, with a forty-point advantage over their rivals, will be hoping to secure the runner-up position during this event. Russell can help them achieve that from second place, and Kimi Antonelli will begin immediately after Verstappen.

Past Performance

Oscar Piastri was victorious then – as he did the previous season, too. McLaren's Australian is going for a third consecutive win.

Short Race Importance

Alright, just over twenty minutes remaining until the sprint race begins. Unless something goes wrong, it's greatest value is as a preview of what is to come, instead of significant in its itself, with just eight championship points awarded to the winner. However, the runner-up spot in this race was sufficient for Verstappen to become champion in a prior season.

Max Verstappen wins the championship following Pérez crashes out of Qatar GP sprint race.