Qatar Short Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Live Updates
Opening Notes
Philip is about to begin to cover today's sprint race (2pm GMT) and grid-setting session (6pm).
Current Events
Starting Lap Period
The warm-up lap has started.
Track Information
There are nineteen laps around the lengthiest track in Formula One, David Croft informs us.
Final Moments
The last moments is on.
Racer Positions
One point in Max Verstappen's advantage: his teammate Yuki Tsunoda is ahead of him by one place. It's improbable to mess with Red Bull's lead driver.
Interview Updates
Sky speaking with Sky now: the analyst is at the Mercedes team.
The analyst 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 16 cars on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for Lewis Hamilton: following his result of 20th and last in Las Vegas, leading to an eighth position in the grand prix, he did not manage to make it out of the first qualifying segment once more on the previous day. Ferrari have as a result made changes to his car configuration and so he will start from the starting area.
The team's Stroll and the Alpine pair of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all starting from the same position.
Racer Statements
"We'll use 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 constructors' gong but the team, with a forty-point advantage over their rivals, will be hoping to seal second place during this event. George Russell can assist in this goal from the front row, and Antonelli will start just behind Verstappen.
Previous Results
Piastri won that day – as he managed the previous season, too. McLaren's Australian is going for a hat-trick.
Sprint Race Value
Right, approximately 20 minutes to go till the sprint race begins. Unless something goes wrong, its main importance is as a preview of what is to come, rather than highly important in its own right, with just eight championship points available to the winner. Mind you, the runner-up spot here was enough for the driver to become champion two years ago.
The driver wins the championship after his teammate's accident of the short race.
