🔗 Share this article Qatar's Short Race and Main Event Qualifying: Live Updates Introduction The author will be here shortly to guide you through today's sprint race (2pm GMT) and grid-setting session (18:00 GMT). Live Feed Warm-Up Lap Period The warm-up lap has started. Track Information There are nineteen laps of the longest circuit in F1, the commentator informs us. Countdown The countdown is underway. Driver Situation An advantage in Max Verstappen's advantage: his teammate Yuki Tsunoda is ahead of him by one place. It's improbable to mess with Red Bull's main man. Media Conversations Sky speaking with Sky currently: the analyst is with Mercedes. Karun Chandhok is jumping ahead to the 2026 season, interviewing the engineer about his promotion to the team 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 the previous race, leading to an eighth position in the main race, he did not manage to advance of Q1 once more on Friday. The team have as a result made changes to his car configuration and so he begins from the starting area. Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and the Alpine pair of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all starting from the same position. Racer Statements "We take the experience for tomorrow," says Hadjar, 11th on the grid. Expect a lot of that. Team Standings The focus isn't solely on the individual championship: 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 during this event. Russell can help them achieve that from the front row, and Kimi Antonelli will start just behind the leader. Previous Results Oscar Piastri was victorious then – as he did the previous season, too. McLaren's Australian is attempting a third consecutive win. Sprint Race Value Right, approximately 20 minutes to go till the short race begins. Barring disaster, it's greatest value is as a preview of what is to come, instead of significant in its own right, with only eight points available to the winner. Mind you, the runner-up spot in this race was enough for the driver to become champion in a prior season. The driver wins F1 world title after Pérez crashes out of Qatar GP sprint race.