🔗 Share this article Qatar's Sprint Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Live Updates Preamble Philip is about to begin to take you through today's sprint race (2pm GMT) and qualifying (6pm). Live Feed Starting Lap Period The starting lap is underway. Track Information There are nineteen laps around the lengthiest track in Formula One, the commentator informs us. Countdown The countdown is on. Driver Situation An advantage in Verstappen's favour: his fellow driver Yuki Tsunoda is in front of him by one place. It's improbable to challenge Red Bull's main man. Media Conversations Sky speaking with Sky currently: Gary Neville is with Mercedes. The analyst is jumping ahead to the 2026 season, interviewing Adrian Newey about his promotion to Aston Martin team principal. Starting Positions There are only sixteen vehicles 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 position in the grand prix, he did not manage to advance 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 pit lane. The team's Stroll and the Alpine duo of Gasly and Colapinto are all starting from the same position. Racer Statements "We'll use the experience for the next day," states Hadjar, 11th on the grid. 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 Red Bull, will be hoping to secure the runner-up position this weekend. Russell can help them achieve that from second place, and Kimi Antonelli will begin immediately after Verstappen. Previous Results Piastri won that day – as he did the previous season, too. The driver from McLaren is going for a third consecutive win. Short Race Importance Alright, approximately twenty minutes to go until the short race gets under way. Barring disaster, its main importance is as a preview of future events, rather than highly important in its itself, with just eight championship points available to the winner. However, the runner-up spot here was sufficient for Verstappen to claim the title in a prior season. The driver claimed the championship after his teammate's accident of Qatar GP sprint race.