Qatar's Short Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Real-Time Updates

Introduction

The author will be here shortly to guide you through today's short race (14:00 GMT) and grid-setting session (18:00 GMT).

Live Feed

Warm-Up Lap Time

The starting lap has started.

Circuit Details

We have nineteen laps around the lengthiest track in Formula 1, David Croft reminds us.

Countdown

The final countdown is underway.

Driver Situation

An advantage in Max Verstappen's advantage: his teammate Yuki Tsunoda is in front of him by one place. It's improbable to challenge the team's main man.

Interview Updates

Sky interviewing Sky currently: the analyst is at the Mercedes team.

Karun Chandhok is jumping ahead to 2026, speaking with Adrian Newey about his stepping up to the team team principal.

Starting Positions

Just 16 cars on the grid. It was another poor grid-setting session for the driver: after coming 20th and last in the previous race, resulting in an eighth-place finish in the main race, he failed to make it out of the first qualifying segment again on the previous day. The team have as a result made changes to his setup and so he begins from the pit lane.

The team's Lance Stroll and the Alpine duo of Pierre Gasly and Colapinto are all starting from the same position.

Driver Comments

"We take the experience for the next day," states Isack Hadjar, starting eleventh. There will be a lot of that.

Team Standings

The focus isn't solely on the individual championship: McLaren have run away with the constructors' gong but the team, with a forty-point advantage over their rivals, are aiming to secure the runner-up position during this event. George Russell can help them achieve that from the front row, and Kimi Antonelli will begin immediately after the leader.

Past Performance

Oscar Piastri won that day – as he did the previous season, too. The driver from McLaren is going for a third consecutive win.

Short Race Importance

Alright, just over 20 minutes remaining till the short race gets under way. Barring disaster, its main importance is as a preview of future events, rather than significant in its itself, with just eight championship points available to the victor. However, second place here was enough for Verstappen to become champion in a prior season.

Max Verstappen wins the championship after Pérez crashes out of the short race.