Qatar's Short Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Real-Time Coverage
Opening Notes
Our correspondent will be here shortly to cover this day's short race (2pm GMT) and qualifying (6pm).
Real-Time Updates
Warm-Up Lap Time
The formation lap is underway.
Track Information
We have 19 laps of the longest circuit in F1, David Croft informs us.
Countdown
The last moments is underway.
Driver Situation
One point in Max Verstappen's advantage: his teammate Tsunoda is in front of him by a single position. It's improbable to mess with the team's main man.
Interview Updates
Sky interviewing Sky currently: Gary Neville is at the Mercedes team.
Karun Chandhok is looking forward to 2026, interviewing the engineer about his promotion to the team lead role.
Grid Details
There are only 16 cars on the grid. This followed another poor grid-setting session for the driver: after coming twentieth and final in the previous race, resulting in an eighth-place finish in the main race, he did not manage to advance of the first qualifying segment once more on Friday. 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 Gasly and Colapinto are all doing likewise.
Racer Statements
"We take the learning for tomorrow," says Hadjar, 11th on the grid. Expect a lot of that.
Constructors' Championship
It's not all about the individual championship: McLaren have run away with the team championship 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 start just behind the leader.
Past Performance
Oscar Piastri was victorious then – as he did last year, as well. McLaren's Australian is attempting a hat-trick.
Sprint Race Value
Right, just over 20 minutes to go until the short race begins. Unless something goes wrong, it's greatest value is as a preview of future events, instead of highly important in its itself, with only eight points available to the winner. However, second place here was sufficient for the driver to claim the title in a prior season.
The driver claimed F1 world title after Pérez crashes out of the short race.
