🔗 Share this article Qatar's Short Race and Main Event Qualifying: Live Coverage Preamble Our correspondent is about to begin to take you through this day's short race (2pm GMT) and grid-setting session (18:00 GMT). Real-Time Updates Starting Lap Time The starting lap is underway. Circuit Details There are 19 laps around the lengthiest track in Formula 1, David Croft informs us. Countdown The last moments is on. Racer Positions An advantage in Verstappen's favour: his fellow driver Yuki Tsunoda is in front of him by one place. He is unlikely to interfere with the team's lead driver. Media Conversations Sky interviewing Sky currently: Gary Neville is with Mercedes. Karun Chandhok is jumping ahead to 2026, speaking with the engineer about his promotion to the team team principal. Starting Positions Just sixteen vehicles on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for the driver: following his result of twentieth and final in Las Vegas, resulting in an eighth-place finish in the main race, he did not manage to make it out of Q1 once more on Friday. Ferrari have as a result made changes to his car configuration and so he will start from the starting area. Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and the Alpine pair of Pierre Gasly and Colapinto are all starting from the same position. Racer Statements "We take the learning for the next day," states Isack Hadjar, starting eleventh. Expect a lot of that. Team Standings The focus isn't solely on the drivers' title: The team have dominated the constructors' gong but Mercedes, with a forty-point advantage over Red Bull, will be hoping to seal second place during this event. George Russell can help them achieve that from second place, and Antonelli will begin immediately after the leader. Past Performance Oscar Piastri was victorious then – as he managed the previous season, as well. McLaren's Australian is attempting a third consecutive win. Sprint Race Value Alright, just over twenty minutes to go until the sprint 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 winner. Mind you, second place in this race was sufficient for Verstappen to claim the title in a prior season. Max Verstappen wins the championship following his teammate's accident of Qatar GP sprint race.