Qatar Short Race and Grand Prix Grid Setting: Real-Time Updates

Preamble

The author is about to begin to cover today's sprint race (14:00 GMT) and qualifying (18:00 GMT).

Real-Time Updates

Warm-Up Lap Time

The formation lap is underway.

Circuit Details

We have 19 laps around the lengthiest track in Formula 1, David Croft informs us.

Final Moments

The final countdown has begun.

Driver Situation

One point in Verstappen's favour: his teammate Tsunoda is in front of him by one place. It's improbable 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 jumping ahead to 2026, interviewing Adrian Newey about his stepping up to the team team principal.

Starting Positions

Just 16 cars on the grid. This followed another poor grid-setting session for Lewis Hamilton: following his result of twentieth and final in Las Vegas, resulting in an eighth-place finish in the grand prix, he did not manage to make it out of the first qualifying segment once more on Friday. Ferrari have consequently made changes to his setup and so he begins from the starting area.

The team's Stroll and the Alpine pair of Gasly and Colapinto are all doing likewise.

Racer Statements

"We take the learning for tomorrow," says Hadjar, starting eleventh. There will be a lot of that.

Constructors' Championship

The focus isn't solely on the drivers' title: The team have run away with the constructors' gong but the team, with a 40-point lead over their rivals, are aiming to secure the runner-up position this weekend. George Russell can help them achieve that from second place, and Antonelli will begin immediately after Verstappen.

Past Performance

Piastri won that day – as he managed the previous season, too. The driver from McLaren is going for a hat-trick.

Short Race Importance

Right, just over 20 minutes remaining till the short race gets under way. Unless something goes wrong, it's greatest value is as a preview of what is to come, rather than significant in its own right, with only eight points awarded to the winner. However, the runner-up spot in this race was sufficient for the driver to become champion in a prior season.

Max Verstappen claimed F1 world title after his teammate's accident of the short race.