Qatar's Short Race and Grand Prix Grid Setting: Live Updates
Introduction
Our correspondent is arriving soon to cover this day's short race (2pm GMT) and grid-setting session (6pm).
Current Events
Formation Lap Period
The warm-up lap is underway.
Track Information
We have nineteen laps around the lengthiest track in F1, David Croft points out.
Final Moments
The last moments is on.
Racer Positions
An advantage in Verstappen's favour: his fellow driver Yuki Tsunoda is in front of him by a single position. It's improbable to interfere with the team's lead driver.
Media Conversations
Sky speaking with Sky now: Gary Neville is with Mercedes.
The analyst is jumping ahead to 2026, speaking with Adrian Newey about his stepping up to the team lead role.
Grid Details
Just 16 cars on the grid. This followed another poor grid-setting session for the driver: after coming 20th and last in the previous race, resulting in an eighth-place finish in the main race, he failed to advance of Q1 once more on Friday. The team have as a result made changes to his setup and so he will start from the pit lane.
Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and the Alpine duo of Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all starting from the same position.
Racer Statements
"We take the learning for tomorrow," says Hadjar, starting eleventh. Expect a lot of that.
Constructors' Championship
The focus isn't solely on the drivers' title: McLaren have dominated the constructors' gong but the team, with a 40-point lead over Red Bull, will be hoping to secure the runner-up position during this event. Russell can assist in this goal from the front row, and Kimi Antonelli will begin immediately after Verstappen.
Past Performance
Oscar Piastri won that day – as he did last year, too. The driver from McLaren is attempting a hat-trick.
Short Race Importance
Alright, approximately twenty minutes to go until the sprint race gets under way. Barring disaster, its main importance is as a preview of future events, rather than highly important in its itself, with just eight championship points awarded to the winner. However, the runner-up spot in this race was sufficient for Verstappen to claim the title in a prior season.
The driver wins F1 world title after Pérez crashes out of Qatar GP sprint race.
