Qatar Short Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Real-Time Updates
Preamble
Philip is about to begin to guide you through today's sprint race (2pm GMT) and grid-setting session (18:00 GMT).
Live Feed
Starting Lap Time
The formation lap is underway.
Track Information
We have 19 laps of the longest circuit in Formula 1, the commentator reminds us.
Final Moments
The last moments has begun.
Driver Situation
An advantage in Verstappen's favour: his teammate Yuki Tsunoda is in front of him by a single position. He is unlikely to mess with Red Bull's main man.
Interview Updates
Sky interviewing Sky now: Gary Neville is at the Mercedes team.
The analyst is looking forward to the 2026 season, interviewing the engineer about his promotion to Aston Martin team principal.
Starting Positions
There are only 16 cars on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for Lewis Hamilton: after coming twentieth and final in the previous race, resulting in an eighth position in the grand prix, he failed to make it out of Q1 again on Friday. The team have consequently made changes to his setup and so he begins from the starting area.
Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and the Alpine pair of Gasly and Colapinto are all doing likewise.
Racer Statements
"We'll use the experience for the next day," says Hadjar, 11th on the grid. There will be a lot of that.
Constructors' Championship
The focus isn't solely on the drivers' title: The team have dominated the team championship but Mercedes, with a 40-point lead over Red Bull, will be hoping to secure the runner-up position during this event. Russell can help them achieve that from second place, and Kimi Antonelli will begin immediately after the leader.
Previous Results
Oscar Piastri won that day – as he did the previous season, as well. McLaren's Australian is attempting a third consecutive win.
Short Race Importance
Right, approximately twenty minutes to go until the short race gets under way. Barring disaster, it's greatest value is as an indication of future events, rather than highly important in its itself, with only eight points awarded to the winner. However, the runner-up spot here was enough for the driver to become champion two years ago.
Max Verstappen wins F1 world title after Pérez crashes out of Qatar GP sprint race.