🔗 Share this article Qatar's Short Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Real-Time Updates Preamble Our correspondent will be here shortly to cover this day's short race (14:00 GMT) and grid-setting session (18:00 GMT). Live Feed Formation Lap Time The warm-up lap has begun. Track Information There are nineteen laps of the longest circuit in Formula One, David Croft informs us. Final Moments The last moments is on. Racer Positions One point in Verstappen's favour: his fellow driver Tsunoda is in front of him by one place. He is unlikely to challenge the team's lead driver. Media Conversations Sky interviewing Sky now: the analyst is at the Mercedes team. The analyst is looking forward to the 2026 season, interviewing the engineer about his stepping up to the team team principal. Grid Details There are only 16 cars on the grid. It was another bad qualifying for the driver: after coming 20th and last in Las Vegas, resulting in 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. The team have as a result adjusted to his car configuration and so he begins from the pit lane. The team's Stroll and the Alpine duo of Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all doing likewise. Racer Statements "We take the learning for tomorrow," says Hadjar, 11th on the grid. Expect plenty of learning. Constructors' Championship The focus isn't solely on the drivers' title: McLaren have run away with the team championship but the team, with a forty-point advantage over their rivals, are aiming to secure the runner-up position during this event. Russell can assist in this goal from second place, and Kimi Antonelli will start just behind Verstappen. Previous Results Oscar Piastri won that day – as he did last year, as well. The driver from McLaren is going for a hat-trick. Short Race Importance Alright, just over 20 minutes to go until the short race begins. Barring disaster, it's greatest value is as a preview of what is to come, instead of highly important in its itself, with only eight points available to the winner. However, second place in this race was sufficient for Verstappen to claim the title in a prior season. The driver wins the championship following Pérez crashes out of the short race.