🔗 Share this article Qatar's Short Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Real-Time Coverage Opening Notes Our correspondent is about to begin to cover this day's sprint race (2pm GMT) and grid-setting session (6pm). Live Feed Warm-Up Lap Time The formation lap is underway. Track Information There are nineteen laps around the lengthiest track in F1, the commentator informs us. Countdown The final countdown is underway. Racer Positions One point in Verstappen's advantage: his teammate Tsunoda is ahead of him by one place. He is unlikely to challenge the team's lead driver. Media Conversations Sky's internal discussion now: the analyst is at the Mercedes team. The analyst is looking forward to 2026, interviewing the engineer about his stepping up to Aston Martin team principal. Starting Positions 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, leading to an eighth-place finish in the main race, he did not manage 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 will start from the pit lane. Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and the Alpine duo of Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all starting from the same position. Racer Statements "We'll use the experience for tomorrow," states Hadjar, 11th on the grid. There will be plenty of learning. Team Standings It's not all about the drivers' title: McLaren have dominated the constructors' gong but the team, with a 40-point lead over Red Bull, will be hoping to seal second place during this event. Russell can assist in this goal from second place, and Kimi Antonelli will begin immediately after the leader. Past Performance Oscar Piastri was victorious then – as he did last year, too. The driver from McLaren is going for a third consecutive win. Short Race Importance Alright, approximately twenty minutes to go until the short race gets under way. Barring disaster, it's greatest value is as a preview of future events, rather than significant in its own right, with only eight points available to the victor. Mind you, second place in this race was enough for the driver to become champion in a prior season. The driver claimed F1 world title following Pérez crashes out of Qatar GP sprint race.