🔗 Share this article Qatar's Sprint Race and Main Event Qualifying: Real-Time Coverage Opening Notes Philip is arriving soon to guide you through today's sprint race (2pm GMT) and qualifying (18:00 GMT). Live Feed Formation Lap Time The formation lap has started. Circuit Details There are 19 laps of the longest circuit in Formula One, the commentator informs us. Countdown The last moments is on. Driver Situation One point in Verstappen's favour: his teammate Yuki Tsunoda is in front of him by a single position. It's improbable to interfere with the team's main man. Interview Updates Sky speaking with Sky currently: the analyst is at the Mercedes team. Karun Chandhok is looking forward to the 2026 season, speaking with the engineer about his promotion to the team team principal. Starting Positions Just sixteen vehicles on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for Lewis Hamilton: after coming twentieth and final in Las Vegas, resulting in an eighth position in the main race, he failed to make it out of Q1 again on the previous day. Ferrari have as a result adjusted to his car configuration and so he will start from the starting area. Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and the Alpine duo of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all doing likewise. Racer Statements "We'll use the experience for tomorrow," states Hadjar, starting eleventh. Expect a lot of that. Team Standings It's not all about the drivers' title: The team have dominated the team championship but the team, with a 40-point lead over their rivals, are aiming to secure the runner-up position this weekend. Russell can assist in this goal from the front row, and Kimi Antonelli will start just behind Verstappen. Past Performance Oscar Piastri won that day – as he managed last year, as well. The driver from McLaren is going for a hat-trick. Sprint Race Value Alright, just over twenty minutes to go until the sprint race begins. Unless something goes wrong, it's greatest value is as a preview of what is to come, rather than highly important in its own right, with only eight points available to the winner. However, second place in this race was enough for Verstappen to become champion two years ago. Max Verstappen claimed the championship following Pérez crashes out of Qatar GP sprint race.