🔗 Share this article Qatar Short Race and Grand Prix Grid Setting: Real-Time Updates Preamble Our correspondent is arriving soon to guide you through today's sprint race (2pm GMT) and qualifying (18:00 GMT). Live Feed Warm-Up Lap Period The warm-up lap has started. Circuit Details There are nineteen laps of the longest circuit in Formula 1, the commentator points out. Final Moments The countdown is underway. Driver Situation An advantage in Verstappen's favour: his teammate Yuki Tsunoda is ahead of him by one place. It's improbable to interfere with Red Bull's main man. Media Conversations Sky's internal discussion currently: Gary Neville is with Mercedes. The analyst is looking forward to the 2026 season, speaking with Adrian Newey about his promotion to the team lead role. Starting Positions Just 16 cars on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for Lewis Hamilton: following his result of twentieth and final in the previous race, leading to an eighth position in the main race, he did not manage to make it out of the first qualifying segment once more on Friday. Ferrari have consequently made changes to his setup and so he will start from the starting area. The team's Stroll and the Alpine duo of Pierre Gasly and Colapinto are all starting from the same position. Driver Comments "We'll use the learning for tomorrow," states Isack Hadjar, starting eleventh. There will be plenty of learning. Constructors' Championship It's not all about the individual championship: The team have dominated the constructors' gong but Mercedes, with a forty-point advantage over Red Bull, will be hoping to seal second place this weekend. Russell can assist in this goal from the front row, and Antonelli will begin immediately after the leader. Past Performance Piastri won that day – as he did last year, as well. The driver from McLaren is going for a third consecutive win. Sprint Race Value Right, approximately twenty minutes remaining until the short race gets under way. Unless something goes wrong, it's greatest value is as a preview of what is to come, rather than significant in its own right, with only eight points available to the victor. However, second place in this race was enough for the driver to become champion two years ago. Max Verstappen claimed the championship following Pérez crashes out of Qatar GP sprint race.