Qatar Short Race and Grand Prix Grid Setting: Real-Time Updates
Preamble
Philip is arriving soon to take you through this day's short race (2pm GMT) and qualifying (18:00 GMT).
Current Events
Starting Lap Period
The starting lap has begun.
Track Information
There are nineteen laps around the lengthiest track in Formula 1, David Croft points out.
Countdown
The countdown has begun.
Racer Positions
One point in Verstappen's advantage: his fellow driver Tsunoda is in front of him by a single position. It's improbable to mess with Red Bull's lead driver.
Interview Updates
Sky speaking with Sky currently: the analyst is at the Mercedes team.
The analyst is looking forward to the 2026 season, speaking with Adrian Newey about his promotion to Aston Martin lead role.
Grid Details
Just 16 cars on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for Lewis Hamilton: following his result of twentieth and final in the previous race, leading to an eighth position in the main race, he failed to make it out of the first qualifying segment again on the previous day. Ferrari have as a result made changes to his car configuration and so he will start from the pit lane.
The team's Lance Stroll and the Alpine pair of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all starting from the same position.
Driver Comments
"We'll use the learning for the next day," states Hadjar, 11th on the grid. There will be a lot of that.
Constructors' Championship
The focus isn't solely on the drivers' title: The team have run away with the constructors' gong but Mercedes, with a forty-point advantage over Red Bull, are aiming to seal second place this weekend. Russell can help them achieve that from the front row, and Kimi Antonelli will start just behind the leader.
Past Performance
Piastri was victorious then – as he did the previous season, too. McLaren's Australian is going for a third consecutive win.
Short Race Importance
Right, approximately twenty minutes to go till the sprint race gets under way. Unless something goes wrong, its main importance is as an indication of what is to come, instead of highly important in its itself, with just eight championship points awarded to the winner. However, the runner-up spot here was enough for Verstappen to become champion in a prior season.
The driver claimed the championship after Pérez crashes out of Qatar GP sprint race.
