Qatar Short Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Live Updates
Opening Notes
Philip is about to begin to guide you through this day's short race (2pm GMT) and grid-setting session (18:00 GMT).
Live Feed
Warm-Up Lap Period
The starting lap has begun.
Track Information
There are nineteen laps around the lengthiest track in Formula 1, the commentator points out.
Countdown
The last moments is underway.
Racer Positions
An advantage in Max Verstappen's favour: his teammate Tsunoda is in front of him by a single position. He is unlikely to mess with the team's main man.
Media Conversations
Sky interviewing Sky currently: Gary Neville is at the Mercedes team.
Karun Chandhok is jumping ahead to the 2026 season, interviewing the engineer about his promotion to Aston Martin team principal.
Starting Positions
Just sixteen vehicles on the grid. This followed another poor grid-setting session for Lewis Hamilton: following his result of twentieth and final in the previous race, leading to an eighth position in the grand prix, he failed to make it out of the first qualifying segment again on the previous day. The team have consequently made changes to his setup and so he will start from the pit lane.
Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and the Alpine pair of Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all doing likewise.
Racer Statements
"We'll use the learning for the next day," states Hadjar, 11th on the grid. Expect a lot of that.
Constructors' Championship
The focus isn't solely on the individual championship: McLaren have run away with the constructors' gong 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 Kimi Antonelli will begin immediately after Verstappen.
Past Performance
Oscar Piastri was victorious then – as he did last year, as well. McLaren's Australian is going for a hat-trick.
Short Race Importance
Alright, approximately twenty minutes to go until the sprint race gets under way. Unless something goes wrong, its main importance is as a preview of what is to come, rather than significant in its own right, with just eight championship points available to the victor. However, second place here was enough for the driver to become champion two years ago.
The driver wins the championship after Pérez crashes out of Qatar GP sprint race.