🔗 Share this article Qatar Short Race and Main Event Qualifying: Real-Time Coverage Preamble Philip is arriving soon to cover today's sprint race (14:00 GMT) and qualifying (6pm). Live Feed Starting Lap Period The warm-up lap has started. Track Information We have 19 laps of the longest circuit in Formula One, the commentator reminds us. Countdown The last moments is on. Racer Positions An advantage in Verstappen's advantage: his teammate Yuki Tsunoda is in front of him by a single position. It's improbable to challenge Red Bull's lead driver. Media Conversations Sky's internal discussion now: the analyst is at the Mercedes team. The analyst is looking forward to the 2026 season, speaking with Adrian Newey about his stepping up to the team lead role. Starting Positions Just 16 cars on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for the driver: after coming twentieth and final in the previous race, resulting in an eighth-place finish in the grand prix, he did not manage to make it out of Q1 again on the previous day. Ferrari have consequently made changes to his setup and so he will start from the pit lane. The team's Lance Stroll and the Alpine pair of Gasly and Colapinto are all starting from the same position. Driver Comments "We take the learning for the next day," says Isack Hadjar, 11th on the grid. Expect plenty of learning. Team Standings The focus isn't solely on the drivers' title: McLaren have dominated the constructors' gong but the team, with a forty-point advantage over their rivals, are aiming to seal second place during this event. George Russell can help them achieve that from second place, and Antonelli will begin immediately after the leader. Previous Results Oscar Piastri won that day – as he did last year, as well. McLaren's Australian is attempting a hat-trick. Short Race Importance Right, just over twenty minutes remaining till the short race gets under way. Unless something goes wrong, its main importance is as a preview of what is to come, rather than highly important in its own right, with just eight championship points available to the victor. However, second place here was enough for the driver to claim the title two years ago. The driver wins the championship after Pérez crashes out of Qatar GP sprint race.