🔗 Share this article Qatar's Sprint Race and Main Event Qualifying: Live Coverage Opening Notes The author will be here shortly to take you through this day's short race (2pm GMT) and qualifying (6pm). Live Feed Warm-Up Lap Period The warm-up lap has started. Track Information There are 19 laps around the lengthiest track in Formula 1, the commentator points out. Countdown The last moments is underway. Racer Positions An advantage in Max Verstappen's favour: his teammate Yuki Tsunoda is ahead of him by a single position. It's improbable to mess with Red Bull's lead driver. Media Conversations Sky speaking with Sky currently: the analyst is with Mercedes. The analyst is jumping ahead to 2026, interviewing Adrian Newey about his stepping up to Aston Martin lead role. Starting Positions There are only 16 cars on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for Lewis Hamilton: following his result of twentieth and final in Las Vegas, leading to an eighth position in the grand prix, he failed to advance of the first qualifying segment once more on Friday. Ferrari have as a result made changes to his setup and so he begins from the starting area. Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and the Alpine duo of Gasly and Colapinto are all doing likewise. Racer Statements "We'll use the learning for tomorrow," states Isack Hadjar, starting eleventh. Expect a lot of that. Team Standings It's not all about the individual championship: McLaren have dominated the constructors' gong but Mercedes, with a forty-point advantage over Red Bull, are aiming to secure the runner-up position this weekend. George Russell can help them achieve that from the front row, and Kimi Antonelli will start just behind the leader. Past Performance Oscar Piastri won that day – as he did the previous season, as well. McLaren's Australian is going for a third consecutive win. Sprint Race Value Alright, just over twenty minutes remaining till the sprint race begins. Barring disaster, its main importance is as a preview of what is to come, instead of highly important in its itself, with only eight points awarded to the victor. Mind you, the runner-up spot here was sufficient for the driver to become champion two years ago. Max Verstappen claimed the championship after his teammate's accident of the short race.