Qatar's Short Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Live Coverage
Opening Notes
Philip is about to begin to cover today's sprint race (2pm GMT) and grid-setting session (6pm).
Live Feed
Formation Lap Period
The starting lap has begun.
Circuit Details
We have 19 laps of the longest circuit in F1, the commentator reminds us.
Countdown
The last moments is underway.
Racer Positions
One point in Verstappen's advantage: his fellow driver Tsunoda is ahead of him by a single position. It's improbable to interfere with the team's lead driver.
Media Conversations
Sky interviewing Sky currently: the analyst is with Mercedes.
The analyst is looking forward to 2026, interviewing Adrian Newey about his promotion to the team lead role.
Grid Details
There are only 16 cars on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for Lewis Hamilton: following his result of 20th and last in Las Vegas, resulting in an eighth-place finish in the main race, he did not manage to make it out of Q1 again on the previous day. The team have as a result made changes to his car configuration and so he will start from the starting area.
Aston Martin's Stroll and the Alpine duo of Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all starting from the same position.
Racer Statements
"We take the experience for the next day," states Isack Hadjar, starting eleventh. Expect a lot of that.
Team Standings
It's not all about the drivers' title: McLaren have dominated the constructors' gong but the team, with a forty-point advantage over Red Bull, are aiming to seal second place during this event. Russell can help them achieve that from the front row, and Antonelli will begin immediately after Verstappen.
Previous Results
Piastri was victorious then – as he managed last year, too. The driver from McLaren is going for a hat-trick.
Short Race Importance
Right, just over twenty minutes to go until the sprint race begins. Unless something goes wrong, it's greatest value is as a preview of future events, instead of significant in its itself, with only eight points awarded to the victor. Mind you, second place in this race was sufficient for Verstappen to become champion in a prior season.
The driver claimed the championship after his teammate's accident of the short race.
