🔗 Share this article Qatar's Sprint Race and Grand Prix Qualifying: Real-Time Updates Opening Notes Our correspondent will be here shortly to cover this day's sprint race (14:00 GMT) and qualifying (6pm). Current Events Warm-Up Lap Time The formation lap has started. Circuit Details There are nineteen laps of the longest circuit in F1, the commentator points out. Countdown The last moments is underway. Racer Positions An advantage in Verstappen's favour: his fellow driver Tsunoda is ahead of him by one place. It's improbable to mess with the team's lead driver. Interview Updates Sky interviewing Sky currently: the analyst is at the Mercedes team. The analyst is jumping ahead to 2026, speaking with Adrian Newey about his stepping up to Aston Martin team principal. Starting Positions There are only 16 cars on the grid. It was another bad qualifying for the driver: following his result of twentieth and final in Las Vegas, resulting in an eighth-place finish in the main race, he failed to make it out of Q1 once more on the previous day. The team have as a result adjusted to his setup and so he will start 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. Driver Comments "We take the experience for tomorrow," says Hadjar, starting eleventh. Expect a lot of that. Constructors' Championship It's not all about the individual championship: McLaren have dominated the team championship but the team, with a 40-point lead over Red Bull, will be hoping to seal second place during this event. Russell can help them achieve that from the front row, and Kimi Antonelli will start just behind the leader. Previous Results Piastri was victorious then – as he did the previous season, as well. The driver from McLaren is attempting a hat-trick. Short Race Importance Alright, just over 20 minutes to go until the short race gets under way. Barring disaster, it's greatest value is as an indication of future events, rather than significant in its itself, with just eight championship points available to the victor. Mind you, the runner-up spot here was enough for Verstappen to claim the title in a prior season. Max Verstappen claimed F1 world title after Pérez crashes out of Qatar GP sprint race.