Qatar's Short Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Real-Time Updates
Opening Notes
Philip will be here shortly to take you through this day's short race (14:00 GMT) and grid-setting session (18:00 GMT).
Current Events
Formation Lap Time
The warm-up lap has started.
Track Information
We have nineteen laps around the lengthiest track in F1, the commentator points out.
Countdown
The countdown has begun.
Driver Situation
An advantage in Verstappen's favour: his teammate Yuki Tsunoda is ahead of him by one place. He is unlikely to mess with Red Bull'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 stepping up to Aston Martin lead role.
Starting Positions
There are only 16 cars on the grid. It was another poor grid-setting session for the driver: after coming twentieth and final in the previous race, resulting in an eighth position in the grand prix, he failed to advance of Q1 once more on the previous day. Ferrari have consequently made changes to his setup and so he begins from the pit lane.
Aston Martin's Stroll and the Alpine duo of Pierre Gasly and Colapinto are all starting from the same position.
Driver Comments
"We'll use the experience for tomorrow," says Hadjar, starting eleventh. There will be a lot of that.
Constructors' Championship
It's not all about the drivers' title: The team have dominated the team championship but the team, with a 40-point lead over their rivals, are aiming to seal second place this weekend. George Russell can assist in this goal from second place, and Kimi Antonelli will start just behind Verstappen.
Past Performance
Oscar Piastri was victorious then – as he did last year, too. McLaren's Australian is going for a third consecutive win.
Short Race Importance
Right, just over twenty minutes remaining till the sprint race begins. Barring disaster, its main importance is as a preview of future events, rather than significant in its own right, with just eight championship points available to the victor. However, the runner-up spot in this race was sufficient for Verstappen to claim the title in a prior season.
Max Verstappen claimed the championship following PĂ©rez crashes out of the short race.
