🔗 Share this article Qatar Short Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Real-Time Updates Preamble The author is arriving soon to guide you through this day's short race (2pm GMT) and qualifying (6pm). Current Events Starting Lap Period The formation lap is underway. Circuit Details There are nineteen laps around the lengthiest track in Formula One, David Croft points out. Final Moments The last moments is underway. Racer Positions One point in Verstappen's favour: his teammate Tsunoda is in front of him by one place. He is unlikely to mess with Red Bull's lead driver. Media Conversations Sky speaking with Sky now: Gary Neville is at the Mercedes team. The analyst is jumping ahead to 2026, speaking with Adrian Newey about his promotion to Aston Martin team principal. Starting Positions There are only sixteen vehicles on the grid. This followed another poor grid-setting session for Lewis Hamilton: after coming 20th and last in Las Vegas, leading to an eighth-place finish in the main race, he failed to advance of the first qualifying segment once more on Friday. The team have as a result made changes to his setup and so he will start from the starting area. The team's Lance Stroll and the Alpine pair of Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all doing likewise. Racer Statements "We'll use the experience for the next day," says Hadjar, 11th on the grid. Expect a lot of that. Constructors' Championship The focus isn't solely on the individual championship: The team 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 this weekend. Russell can help them achieve that from second place, and Kimi Antonelli will start just behind Verstappen. Past Performance Oscar Piastri was victorious then – as he managed last year, too. The driver from McLaren is going for a third consecutive win. Sprint Race Value Right, approximately 20 minutes to go till the short race begins. Unless something goes wrong, its main importance is as a preview of future events, instead of significant in its own right, with only eight points available to the winner. However, the runner-up spot here was sufficient for Verstappen to become champion in a prior season. The driver claimed the championship following Pérez crashes out of Qatar GP sprint race.