🔗 Share this article Qatar's Short Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Real-Time Coverage Preamble The author is arriving soon to cover today's sprint race (14:00 GMT) and qualifying (18:00 GMT). Current Events Formation Lap Period The starting lap has begun. Track Information We have 19 laps around the lengthiest track in F1, the commentator points out. Final Moments The final countdown is on. Driver Situation One point in Max Verstappen's advantage: his fellow driver Tsunoda is in front of him by one place. It's improbable to mess with the team's main man. Interview Updates Sky speaking with Sky currently: the analyst is with Mercedes. Karun Chandhok is jumping ahead to 2026, speaking with the engineer about his promotion to Aston Martin team principal. Starting Positions Just 16 cars 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 failed to make it out of Q1 once more on Friday. Ferrari have as a result adjusted to his setup and so he will start from the starting area. Aston Martin's Stroll and the Alpine duo of Gasly and Colapinto are all doing likewise. Driver Comments "We take the learning for the next day," states Isack Hadjar, 11th on the grid. Expect a lot of that. Constructors' Championship It's not all about the individual championship: The team have run away with the team championship but Mercedes, with a 40-point lead over their rivals, will be hoping to seal second place during this event. George Russell can assist in this goal from second place, and Kimi Antonelli will start just behind Verstappen. Past Performance Oscar Piastri was victorious then – as he did the previous season, too. McLaren's Australian is going for a hat-trick. Short Race Importance Alright, approximately twenty minutes to go till the short race begins. Barring disaster, it's greatest value is as an indication of what is to come, instead of highly important in its itself, with just eight championship points available to the victor. However, the runner-up spot here was sufficient for Verstappen to claim the title two years ago. Max Verstappen wins the championship following Pérez crashes out of the short race.