🔗 Share this article Qatar Sprint Race and Main Event Qualifying: Real-Time Coverage Preamble Philip is about to begin to guide you through today's short race (2pm GMT) and qualifying (18:00 GMT). Live Feed Starting Lap Time The starting lap has begun. Track Information We have 19 laps around the lengthiest track in F1, the commentator points out. Countdown The last moments has begun. Racer Positions An advantage in Verstappen's advantage: his teammate Tsunoda is ahead of him by one place. It's improbable to interfere with Red Bull's main man. Media Conversations Sky interviewing Sky currently: Gary Neville is at the Mercedes team. The analyst is looking forward to the 2026 season, speaking with the engineer about his promotion to Aston Martin team principal. Grid Details There are only sixteen vehicles on the grid. It was another bad qualifying for the driver: following his result of 20th and last in Las Vegas, leading to an eighth-place finish in the main race, he did not manage to make it out of the first qualifying segment again on Friday. Ferrari have consequently made changes to his setup and so he will start from the starting area. The team's Stroll and the Alpine duo of Gasly and Colapinto are all doing likewise. Driver Comments "We'll use the learning for tomorrow," says Hadjar, starting eleventh. There will be plenty of learning. Constructors' Championship The focus isn't solely on the individual championship: The team have run away with the constructors' gong but Mercedes, with a 40-point lead over Red Bull, are aiming to seal second place this weekend. Russell can assist in this goal from second place, and Kimi Antonelli will start just behind Verstappen. Past Performance Piastri was victorious then – as he managed the previous season, as well. McLaren's Australian is attempting a hat-trick. Sprint Race Value Right, just over twenty minutes to go till the short race gets under way. Barring disaster, its main importance is as a preview of future events, instead of significant in its own right, with only eight points awarded to the winner. Mind you, second place here was enough for Verstappen to become champion two years ago. The driver wins F1 world title after his teammate's accident of Qatar GP sprint race.