Qatar Short Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Real-Time Coverage
Opening Notes
Our correspondent is about to begin to cover this day's sprint race (14:00 GMT) and grid-setting session (18:00 GMT).
Live Feed
Warm-Up Lap Time
The starting lap has begun.
Circuit Details
We have nineteen laps around the lengthiest track in Formula 1, David Croft reminds us.
Countdown
The last moments is underway.
Racer Positions
An advantage in Verstappen's favour: his teammate Tsunoda is ahead of him by a single position. He is unlikely to mess with Red Bull's lead driver.
Interview Updates
Sky's internal discussion currently: Gary Neville is at the Mercedes team.
The analyst is looking forward to the 2026 season, interviewing Adrian Newey about his promotion to Aston Martin team principal.
Starting Positions
Just 16 cars on the grid. This followed another poor grid-setting session for the driver: following his result of twentieth and final in the previous race, leading to an eighth-place finish in the grand prix, he failed to make it out of the first qualifying segment once more on Friday. The team have consequently made changes to his setup and so he begins from the pit lane.
The team's Lance Stroll and the Alpine duo of Gasly and Colapinto are all starting from the same position.
Driver Comments
"We'll use the learning for the next day," states Hadjar, starting eleventh. There will be a lot of that.
Team Standings
The focus isn't solely on the individual championship: McLaren have dominated the constructors' gong but the team, with a forty-point advantage over their rivals, will be hoping to secure the runner-up position this weekend. George Russell can help them achieve that from second place, and Kimi Antonelli will begin immediately after the leader.
Previous Results
Piastri was victorious then – as he managed last year, as well. McLaren's Australian is going for a hat-trick.
Sprint Race Value
Alright, approximately twenty minutes remaining until the short race begins. Unless something goes wrong, it's greatest value is as an indication of what is to come, instead of highly important in its own right, with only eight points awarded to the winner. However, the runner-up spot in this race was enough for Verstappen to claim the title in a prior season.
Max Verstappen claimed F1 world title after his teammate's accident of Qatar GP sprint race.