đŸ”— Share this article Qatar's Short Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Live Coverage Introduction Philip is arriving soon to guide you through today's short race (14:00 GMT) and qualifying (18:00 GMT). Current Events Warm-Up Lap Time The starting lap is underway. Track Information There are 19 laps around the lengthiest track in Formula 1, David Croft points out. Countdown The last moments is underway. Driver Situation One point in Verstappen's advantage: his teammate Tsunoda is ahead of him by one place. He is unlikely to mess with Red Bull's main man. Interview Updates Sky speaking with Sky now: Gary Neville is with Mercedes. The analyst is jumping ahead to the 2026 season, interviewing Adrian Newey about his stepping up to Aston Martin lead role. Starting Positions There are only sixteen vehicles on the grid. It was another bad qualifying for Lewis Hamilton: following his result of twentieth and final in Las Vegas, leading to an eighth-place finish in the grand prix, he did not manage to advance of the first qualifying segment once more on the previous day. Ferrari have consequently adjusted to his car configuration and so he begins from the starting area. Aston Martin's Stroll and the Alpine duo of Gasly and Colapinto are all starting from the same position. Racer Statements "We take the experience for the next day," says Hadjar, starting eleventh. Expect a lot of that. Constructors' Championship The focus isn't solely on the individual championship: The team have dominated the team championship but the team, with a 40-point lead over Red Bull, will be hoping to seal second place this weekend. Russell can assist in this goal from the front row, and Kimi Antonelli will begin immediately after Verstappen. Past Performance Piastri won that day – as he did the previous season, too. McLaren's Australian is attempting a third consecutive win. Sprint Race Value Right, just over 20 minutes to go until the short race gets under way. Barring disaster, it's greatest value is as an indication of future events, instead of highly important in its itself, with just eight championship points awarded to the victor. Mind you, second place in this race was enough for the driver to become champion in a prior season. Max Verstappen claimed the championship after PĂ©rez crashes out of the short race.