🔗 Share this article Qatar Short Race and Grand Prix Qualifying: Live Coverage Opening Notes The author will be here shortly to cover this day's sprint race (14:00 GMT) and grid-setting session (6pm). Live Feed Starting Lap Time The warm-up lap is underway. Circuit Details There are nineteen laps around the lengthiest track in Formula 1, David Croft points out. Final Moments The final countdown is on. Racer Positions One point in Verstappen's favour: his fellow driver Tsunoda is ahead of him by one place. He is unlikely to interfere with Red Bull's main man. Media Conversations Sky speaking with Sky now: the analyst is with Mercedes. Karun Chandhok is looking forward to 2026, interviewing the engineer about his stepping up to Aston Martin lead role. Starting Positions Just sixteen vehicles on the grid. It was another poor grid-setting session for Lewis Hamilton: after coming twentieth and final in Las Vegas, leading to an eighth-place finish in the main race, he failed to advance of Q1 once more on the previous day. The team have as a result made changes to his car configuration and so he begins from the starting area. The team's Stroll and the Alpine pair of Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all starting from the same position. Racer Statements "We'll use the experience for tomorrow," states Hadjar, starting eleventh. There will be a lot of that. Team Standings It's not all about the individual championship: The team have run away with the constructors' gong but Mercedes, with a 40-point lead over their rivals, will be hoping to secure the runner-up position this weekend. Russell can assist in this goal from the front row, and Antonelli will start just behind Verstappen. Past Performance Piastri won that day – as he did the previous season, too. McLaren's Australian is going for a hat-trick. Short Race Importance Right, approximately twenty minutes to go till the sprint race gets under way. Unless something goes wrong, it's greatest value is as an indication of what is to come, rather than significant in its itself, with only eight points available to the winner. Mind you, the runner-up spot here was sufficient for Verstappen to claim the title in a prior season. Max Verstappen claimed F1 world title after Pérez crashes out of Qatar GP sprint race.