π Share this article Qatar's Sprint Race and Grand Prix Grid Setting: Real-Time Coverage Preamble Philip is arriving soon to take you through today's sprint race (14:00 GMT) and qualifying (18:00 GMT). Live Feed Formation Lap Period The warm-up lap has begun. Track Information There are nineteen laps of the longest circuit in F1, David Croft points out. Final Moments The final countdown has begun. Driver Situation An advantage in Verstappen's advantage: his teammate Yuki Tsunoda is ahead of him by a single position. It's improbable to interfere with Red Bull's main man. Interview Updates Sky speaking with Sky now: the analyst is at the Mercedes team. Karun Chandhok is jumping ahead to 2026, interviewing Adrian Newey about his promotion to Aston Martin team principal. Starting Positions There are only 16 cars on the grid. This followed another poor grid-setting session for Lewis Hamilton: following his result of twentieth and final in Las Vegas, resulting in an eighth-place finish in the main race, he failed to advance of Q1 once more on Friday. Ferrari have as a result made changes to his setup and so he begins from the pit lane. The team's Lance Stroll and the Alpine pair of Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all doing likewise. Racer Statements "We'll use the learning for the next day," states Hadjar, starting eleventh. Expect a lot of that. Constructors' Championship The focus isn't solely on the drivers' title: The team have run away with the team championship but Mercedes, with a forty-point advantage over their rivals, are aiming to seal second place during this event. George Russell can assist in this goal from second place, and Antonelli will begin immediately after the leader. Past Performance Oscar Piastri won that day β as he managed the previous season, as well. McLaren's Australian is attempting a third consecutive win. Sprint Race Value Right, just over twenty minutes to go until the short race gets under way. Unless something goes wrong, its main importance is as an indication of what is to come, rather than significant in its own right, with only eight points awarded to the winner. Mind you, the runner-up spot in this race was sufficient for Verstappen to claim the title in a prior season. Max Verstappen wins the championship after his teammate's accident of Qatar GP sprint race.