🔗 Share this article Qatar Short Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Live Updates Preamble The author is arriving soon to guide you through today's short race (14:00 GMT) and qualifying (18:00 GMT). Live Feed Starting Lap Period The formation lap is underway. Track Information There are 19 laps around the lengthiest track in F1, David Croft informs us. Countdown The last moments is on. Driver Situation An advantage in Verstappen's favour: his fellow driver Yuki Tsunoda is in front of him by one place. He is unlikely to challenge the team's main man. Media Conversations Sky interviewing Sky now: the analyst is with Mercedes. The analyst is looking forward to 2026, speaking with Adrian Newey about his promotion to Aston Martin team principal. Grid Details There are only sixteen vehicles on the grid. This followed another poor grid-setting session for Lewis Hamilton: after coming twentieth and final in the previous race, resulting in an eighth-place finish in the grand prix, he failed to make it out of the first qualifying segment once more on the previous day. Ferrari have consequently made changes to his setup and so he begins from the pit lane. Aston Martin's Stroll and the Alpine pair of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all starting from the same position. Racer Statements "We'll use the learning for the next day," says Hadjar, 11th on the grid. Expect plenty of learning. Constructors' Championship The focus isn't solely on the individual championship: The team have run away with the team championship but Mercedes, with a forty-point advantage over their rivals, are aiming to seal second place this weekend. George Russell can assist in this goal from the front row, and Kimi Antonelli will begin immediately after Verstappen. Previous Results Piastri won that day – as he did last year, too. The driver from McLaren is attempting a third consecutive win. Sprint Race Value Alright, approximately twenty minutes to go until the sprint race begins. Unless something goes wrong, it's greatest value is as an indication of future events, rather than highly important in its own right, with just eight championship points available to the victor. Mind you, the runner-up spot in this race was sufficient for Verstappen to claim the title two years ago. The driver wins the championship after his teammate's accident of Qatar GP sprint race.