🔗 Share this article Qatar's Short Race and Grand Prix Qualifying: Real-Time Coverage Preamble Our correspondent is arriving soon to guide you through this day's short race (2pm GMT) and qualifying (6pm). Real-Time Updates Starting Lap Time The warm-up lap has started. Track Information We have 19 laps around the lengthiest track in Formula One, the commentator points out. Countdown The final countdown is on. Racer Positions One point in Verstappen's favour: his teammate Tsunoda is ahead of him by one place. It's improbable to mess with Red Bull's lead driver. Interview Updates Sky speaking with Sky now: Gary Neville is with Mercedes. The analyst is jumping ahead to the 2026 season, speaking with the engineer about his promotion to Aston Martin team principal. Grid Details There are only 16 cars on the grid. It was another poor grid-setting session for Lewis Hamilton: after coming twentieth and final in Las Vegas, leading to an eighth-place finish in the grand prix, he failed to advance of the first qualifying segment once more on the previous day. Ferrari have as a result made changes to his setup and so he will start from the pit lane. The team's Stroll and the Alpine duo of Gasly and Colapinto are all starting from the same position. Driver Comments "We take the experience for the next day," says Hadjar, starting eleventh. Expect plenty of learning. Team Standings It's not all about the individual championship: McLaren have run away with the constructors' gong but Mercedes, with a forty-point advantage over their rivals, are aiming to secure the runner-up position this weekend. Russell can assist in this goal from second place, and Antonelli will begin immediately after Verstappen. Past Performance Piastri won that day – as he managed last year, too. The driver from McLaren is going for a hat-trick. Sprint Race Value Alright, approximately 20 minutes to go until the sprint race begins. Barring disaster, its main importance is as an indication of future events, rather than significant in its itself, with only eight points awarded to the winner. However, second place here was enough for Verstappen to become champion two years ago. The driver claimed F1 world title following Pérez crashes out of Qatar GP sprint race.