🔗 Share this article Qatar Short Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Live Coverage Preamble Our correspondent is about to begin to guide you through today's short race (14:00 GMT) and grid-setting session (6pm). Real-Time Updates Starting Lap Period The warm-up lap has started. Track Information We have nineteen laps of the longest circuit in Formula One, David Croft informs us. Countdown The final countdown is on. Racer Positions An advantage in Max Verstappen's favour: his fellow driver Yuki Tsunoda is ahead of him by one place. He is unlikely to interfere with Red Bull's main man. Interview Updates Sky speaking with Sky now: the analyst is at the Mercedes team. Karun Chandhok is looking forward to 2026, speaking with Adrian Newey about his stepping up to Aston Martin lead role. Grid Details There are only sixteen vehicles on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for Lewis Hamilton: following his result of 20th and last 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 Friday. The team have consequently adjusted to his car configuration and so he begins from the starting area. Aston Martin's Stroll and the Alpine duo of Pierre Gasly and Colapinto are all starting from the same position. Driver Comments "We take the learning for tomorrow," says Hadjar, starting eleventh. There will be plenty of learning. Constructors' Championship The focus isn't solely on the drivers' title: The team have dominated 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 begin immediately after the leader. Past Performance Piastri was victorious then – as he did last year, too. The driver from McLaren is attempting a hat-trick. Sprint Race Value Right, just over 20 minutes remaining till the sprint race gets under way. Barring disaster, it's greatest value is as an indication of what is to come, rather than significant in its own right, with just eight championship points awarded to the victor. However, second place in this race was enough for the driver to become champion two years ago. The driver wins F1 world title following Pérez crashes out of Qatar GP sprint race.