Qatar's Short Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Real-Time Updates

Opening Notes

The author is about to begin to guide you through this day's sprint race (14:00 GMT) and qualifying (18:00 GMT).

Current Events

Starting Lap Period

The starting lap is underway.

Circuit Details

We have nineteen laps of the longest circuit in Formula One, the commentator informs us.

Countdown

The last moments has begun.

Racer Positions

One point in Verstappen's advantage: his fellow driver Tsunoda is ahead of him by a single position. It's improbable to mess with Red Bull's main man.

Interview Updates

Sky interviewing Sky now: the analyst is at the Mercedes team.

Karun Chandhok is looking forward to the 2026 season, interviewing Adrian Newey about his promotion to Aston Martin lead role.

Starting Positions

There are only sixteen vehicles on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for Lewis Hamilton: after coming twentieth and final in Las Vegas, resulting in an eighth position in the grand prix, he failed to make it out of the first qualifying segment again on Friday. Ferrari have as a result made changes to his setup and so he will start from the starting area.

Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and the Alpine pair of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all starting from the same position.

Racer Statements

"We take the learning for the next day," states Isack Hadjar, starting eleventh. Expect plenty of learning.

Team Standings

The focus isn't solely on the individual championship: The team have dominated the team championship but the team, with a 40-point lead over Red Bull, are aiming to seal second place this weekend. Russell can assist in this goal from the front row, and Kimi Antonelli will begin immediately after the leader.

Past Performance

Piastri won that day – as he managed the previous season, as well. McLaren's Australian is attempting a hat-trick.

Short Race Importance

Right, just over 20 minutes to go till the sprint race gets under way. Barring disaster, 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. Mind you, second place in this race was enough for Verstappen to become champion two years ago.

Max Verstappen wins the championship after Pérez crashes out of Qatar GP sprint race.