🔗 Share this article Qatar Short Race and Main Event Qualifying: Real-Time Coverage Preamble The author is arriving soon to take you through this day's sprint race (14:00 GMT) and qualifying (18:00 GMT). Current Events Starting Lap Period The formation lap is underway. Track Information There are nineteen laps around the lengthiest track in Formula One, the commentator informs us. Final Moments The last moments is on. Racer Positions An advantage in Verstappen's advantage: his fellow driver Yuki Tsunoda is in front of him by one place. He is unlikely to challenge Red Bull's lead driver. Media Conversations Sky speaking with Sky now: the analyst is at the Mercedes team. Karun Chandhok is looking forward to 2026, speaking with Adrian Newey about his promotion to Aston Martin lead role. Grid Details There are only 16 cars on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for the driver: following his result of 20th and last in Las Vegas, resulting in an eighth-place finish in the main race, he failed to advance of the first qualifying segment once more on Friday. Ferrari have as a result adjusted to his setup and so he begins from the starting area. The team's Stroll and the Alpine pair of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all doing likewise. Driver Comments "We take the learning for tomorrow," says Hadjar, starting eleventh. There will be a lot of that. Team Standings It's not all about the individual championship: The team have dominated the team championship but Mercedes, with a forty-point advantage over their rivals, are aiming to seal second place this weekend. Russell can help them achieve that from the front row, and Kimi Antonelli will begin immediately after the leader. Past Performance Oscar Piastri was victorious then – as he did the previous season, as well. McLaren's Australian is going for a hat-trick. Sprint Race Value Alright, approximately twenty minutes to go till the short race begins. Unless something goes wrong, its main importance is as an indication of future events, rather than highly important in its itself, with just eight championship points awarded to the victor. However, the runner-up spot here was enough for Verstappen to claim the title two years ago. The driver wins F1 world title following Pérez crashes out of the short race.