Qatar's Short Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Real-Time Updates
Opening Notes
Our correspondent will be here shortly to take you through this day's sprint race (14:00 GMT) and grid-setting session (18:00 GMT).
Current Events
Warm-Up Lap Time
The formation lap has started.
Circuit Details
We have nineteen laps around the lengthiest track in F1, the commentator informs us.
Countdown
The countdown has begun.
Racer Positions
An advantage in Max Verstappen's advantage: his fellow driver Yuki Tsunoda is ahead of him by one place. It's improbable to mess with the team's main man.
Interview Updates
Sky speaking with Sky now: the analyst is at the Mercedes team.
The analyst is looking forward to the 2026 season, interviewing Adrian Newey about his stepping up to the team lead role.
Grid Details
Just 16 cars on the grid. It was another poor grid-setting session for the driver: following his result of twentieth and final in Las Vegas, resulting in an eighth position in the main race, he failed to make it out of the first qualifying segment again on Friday. The team have consequently made changes to his car configuration and so he begins from the starting area.
Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and the Alpine pair of Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all doing likewise.
Racer Statements
"We'll use the experience for the next day," states Hadjar, starting eleventh. There will be a lot of that.
Constructors' Championship
The focus isn't solely on the individual championship: McLaren have run away with the team championship but Mercedes, with a forty-point advantage over Red Bull, will be hoping to secure the runner-up position during this event. Russell can assist in this goal from second place, and Antonelli will start just behind the leader.
Past Performance
Piastri won that day – as he managed the previous season, as well. McLaren's Australian is attempting a third consecutive win.
Short Race Importance
Right, just over 20 minutes remaining until the short race begins. Unless something goes wrong, it's greatest value is as a preview of what is to come, rather than significant in its own right, with only eight points available to the winner. However, the runner-up spot here was enough for the driver to become champion two years ago.
The driver wins F1 world title following his teammate's accident of the short race.
