🔗 Share this article Qatar's Short Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Live Updates Preamble The author is arriving soon to take you through this day's sprint race (2pm GMT) and qualifying (6pm). Real-Time Updates Warm-Up Lap Time The starting lap is underway. Track Information We have nineteen laps around the lengthiest track in Formula One, David Croft points out. Countdown The final countdown has begun. Driver Situation An advantage in Max Verstappen's favour: his fellow driver Tsunoda is ahead of him by one place. He is unlikely to interfere with the team's lead driver. Interview Updates Sky speaking with Sky now: Gary Neville is at the Mercedes team. The analyst is looking forward to 2026, speaking with Adrian Newey about his stepping up to Aston Martin team principal. Grid Details There are only sixteen vehicles on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for the driver: after coming 20th and last in the previous race, resulting in an eighth position in the main race, he failed to make it out of the first qualifying segment once more on the previous day. Ferrari have as a result adjusted to his car configuration and so he begins from the starting area. Aston Martin's Stroll and the Alpine pair of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all starting from the same position. Driver Comments "We take the experience for tomorrow," says Isack Hadjar, starting eleventh. There will be a lot of that. Team Standings The focus isn't solely on the drivers' title: The team 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 this weekend. George Russell can help them achieve that from the front row, and Antonelli will begin immediately after the leader. Previous Results Oscar Piastri won that day – as he did the previous season, as well. The driver from McLaren is attempting a third consecutive win. Sprint Race Value Alright, approximately 20 minutes to go till the sprint race gets under way. Barring disaster, it's greatest value is as a preview of what is to come, rather than significant in its itself, with just eight championship points available to the winner. However, the runner-up spot in this race was sufficient for Verstappen to become champion in a prior season. The driver wins F1 world title after Pérez crashes out of the short race.