Qatar Short Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Real-Time Coverage
Preamble
The author will be here shortly to guide you through this day's sprint race (14:00 GMT) and qualifying (6pm).
Current Events
Starting Lap Time
The warm-up lap has begun.
Circuit Details
There are nineteen laps of the longest circuit in Formula 1, David Croft reminds us.
Countdown
The last moments has begun.
Driver Situation
An advantage in Verstappen's advantage: his teammate Yuki Tsunoda is ahead of him by a single position. He is unlikely to mess with the team's main man.
Media Conversations
Sky interviewing Sky currently: the analyst is with Mercedes.
Karun Chandhok is looking forward to the 2026 season, speaking with the engineer about his stepping up to the team lead role.
Grid Details
There are only sixteen vehicles on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for the driver: after coming twentieth and final in Las Vegas, leading to an eighth-place finish in the grand prix, he failed to advance of the first qualifying segment again on the previous day. Ferrari have as a result adjusted to his setup and so he will start from the pit lane.
The team's Lance Stroll and the Alpine duo of Gasly and Colapinto are all doing likewise.
Driver Comments
"We take the experience for the next day," says Isack Hadjar, starting eleventh. Expect plenty of learning.
Team Standings
The focus isn't solely on the drivers' title: McLaren have run away with the team championship but Mercedes, with a 40-point lead over Red Bull, will be hoping to seal second place during this event. Russell can help them achieve that from second place, and Kimi Antonelli will start just behind the leader.
Previous Results
Piastri was victorious then – as he managed the previous season, too. The driver from McLaren is going for a third consecutive win.
Short Race Importance
Alright, approximately 20 minutes remaining until the short race gets under way. Barring disaster, its main importance is as an indication of what is to come, instead of highly important in its itself, with only eight points available to the winner. Mind you, second place here was sufficient for Verstappen to claim the title in a prior season.
Max Verstappen claimed the championship following Pérez crashes out of the short race.
