🔗 Share this article Qatar's Sprint Race and Grand Prix Qualifying: Real-Time Updates Preamble Our correspondent will be here shortly to take you through today's short race (2pm GMT) and grid-setting session (18:00 GMT). Live Feed Starting Lap Period The starting lap has started. Track Information We have nineteen laps around the lengthiest track in F1, David Croft reminds us. Final Moments The countdown is underway. Racer Positions An advantage in Max Verstappen's favour: his teammate Tsunoda is ahead of him by a single position. It's improbable to mess with the team's main man. Media Conversations Sky's internal discussion now: the analyst is with Mercedes. The analyst is looking forward to the 2026 season, interviewing Adrian Newey about his promotion to the team team principal. Grid Details Just 16 cars on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for the driver: following his result of 20th and last in the previous race, leading to an eighth position in the main race, he did not manage to advance of the first qualifying segment again on Friday. Ferrari have as a result adjusted to his car configuration and so he will start from the pit lane. The team's Stroll and the Alpine duo of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all doing likewise. Racer Statements "We'll use the learning for tomorrow," states Hadjar, starting eleventh. There will be a lot of that. Team Standings The focus isn't solely on the drivers' title: McLaren have run away with the constructors' gong but the team, with a forty-point advantage over Red Bull, are aiming to secure the runner-up position this weekend. Russell can assist in this goal from the front row, and Kimi Antonelli will start just behind Verstappen. Past Performance Oscar Piastri won that day – as he managed last year, as well. McLaren's Australian is attempting a third consecutive win. Short Race Importance Right, just over 20 minutes remaining until the sprint race gets under way. Barring disaster, it's greatest value is as a preview of future events, rather than highly important in its itself, with just eight championship points available to the victor. Mind you, second place in this race was enough for Verstappen to become champion two years ago. Max Verstappen claimed F1 world title following his teammate's accident of Qatar GP sprint race.