🔗 Share this article Qatar's Short Race and Main Event Qualifying: Live Coverage Preamble Philip is about to begin to cover this day's short race (2pm GMT) and qualifying (6pm). Live Feed Starting Lap Period The starting lap has begun. Track Information There are nineteen laps around the lengthiest track in F1, David Croft informs us. Final Moments The countdown is on. Racer Positions An advantage in Max Verstappen's advantage: his fellow driver Yuki Tsunoda is in front of him by a single position. He is unlikely to interfere with Red Bull's lead driver. Media Conversations Sky's internal discussion currently: Gary Neville is with Mercedes. Karun Chandhok is looking forward to 2026, interviewing Adrian Newey about his promotion to Aston Martin team principal. Grid Details There are only sixteen vehicles on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for Lewis Hamilton: following his result of twentieth and final in Las Vegas, leading to an eighth-place finish in the main race, he failed to advance of the first qualifying segment 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 Stroll and the Alpine pair of Gasly and Colapinto are all starting from the same position. Driver Comments "We take the learning for tomorrow," states Isack Hadjar, 11th on the grid. Expect a lot of that. Team Standings The focus isn't solely on the drivers' title: The team have dominated the constructors' gong but Mercedes, with a forty-point advantage over their rivals, will be hoping to secure the runner-up position during this event. George Russell can help them achieve that from second place, and Kimi Antonelli will start just behind the leader. Past Performance Oscar Piastri won that day – as he managed last year, too. McLaren's Australian is going for a hat-trick. Short Race Importance Alright, just over twenty minutes remaining till the sprint race gets under way. Unless something goes wrong, its main importance is as a preview of what is to come, instead of 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 in a prior season. The driver wins the championship following Pérez crashes out of Qatar GP sprint race.