🔗 Share this article Qatar Short Race and Grand Prix Grid Setting: Live Updates Introduction The author is arriving soon to cover this day's short race (2pm GMT) and grid-setting session (18:00 GMT). Current Events Warm-Up Lap Time The formation lap is underway. Circuit Details We have 19 laps around the lengthiest track in Formula 1, David Croft points out. Countdown The last moments is on. Racer Positions An advantage in Max Verstappen's favour: his fellow driver Tsunoda is ahead of him by a single position. He is unlikely to mess with Red Bull's main man. Interview Updates Sky interviewing Sky now: Gary Neville is at the Mercedes team. The analyst is looking forward to the 2026 season, interviewing Adrian Newey about his stepping up to the team team principal. Grid Details Just 16 cars on the grid. This followed another poor grid-setting session for the driver: following his result of 20th and last in the previous race, leading to an eighth position in the grand prix, he failed to advance of Q1 again on the previous day. Ferrari have consequently made changes to his setup and so he begins from the pit lane. Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and the Alpine pair of Pierre Gasly and Colapinto are all starting from the same position. Racer Statements "We'll use the experience for tomorrow," says Hadjar, starting eleventh. There will be plenty of learning. Team Standings It's not all about the individual championship: McLaren have dominated the constructors' gong but Mercedes, with a forty-point advantage over their rivals, will be hoping to seal second place this weekend. George Russell can help them achieve that from second place, and Kimi Antonelli will start just behind Verstappen. Previous Results Piastri was victorious then – as he managed the previous season, too. McLaren's Australian is going for a third consecutive win. Sprint Race Value Alright, just over twenty minutes to go till the sprint race gets under way. Barring disaster, its main importance is as a preview of future events, instead of highly important in its own right, with just eight championship points awarded to the winner. However, second place here was enough for the driver to claim the title in a prior season. The driver claimed F1 world title following Pérez crashes out of the short race.