🔗 Share this article Qatar's Sprint Race and Main Event Qualifying: Live Coverage Preamble Philip is about to begin to guide you through today's sprint race (2pm GMT) and grid-setting session (18:00 GMT). Live Feed Warm-Up Lap Time The formation lap has begun. Circuit Details There are 19 laps of the longest circuit in Formula 1, the commentator reminds us. Countdown The last moments has begun. Driver Situation One point in Max Verstappen's favour: his teammate Tsunoda is in front of him by a single position. It's improbable to interfere with the team's main man. Media Conversations Sky interviewing Sky currently: Gary Neville is with Mercedes. Karun Chandhok is looking forward to the 2026 season, interviewing Adrian Newey about his stepping up to the team team principal. Starting Positions There are only 16 cars on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for the driver: after coming 20th and last in the previous race, resulting in an eighth position in the main race, he failed to make it out of the first qualifying segment again on Friday. The team have consequently adjusted to his setup and so he begins from the starting area. Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and the Alpine pair of Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all doing likewise. Driver Comments "We take the experience for the next day," says Isack Hadjar, starting eleventh. Expect plenty of learning. Constructors' Championship The focus isn't solely on the individual championship: McLaren have run away with the team championship but Mercedes, with a 40-point lead over Red Bull, will be hoping to seal second place during this event. George Russell can assist in this goal from second place, and Kimi Antonelli will start just behind the leader. Past Performance Oscar Piastri won that day – as he did the previous season, too. McLaren's Australian is going for a hat-trick. Sprint Race Value Right, approximately 20 minutes remaining until the short race begins. Barring disaster, it's greatest value is as a preview of what is to come, instead of significant in its own right, with just eight championship points awarded to the victor. However, the runner-up spot in this race was sufficient for the driver to become champion in a prior season. The driver claimed the championship following Pérez crashes out of the short race.