🔗 Share this article Qatar Short Race and Main Event Qualifying: Real-Time Coverage Opening Notes The author is arriving soon to guide you through this day's short race (14:00 GMT) and qualifying (6pm). Current Events Warm-Up Lap Time The formation lap has started. Track Information There are nineteen laps of the longest circuit in Formula One, David Croft informs us. Countdown The final countdown is underway. Racer Positions One point in Verstappen's advantage: his teammate Yuki Tsunoda is ahead of him by a single position. He is unlikely to challenge the team's lead driver. Media Conversations Sky interviewing Sky now: Gary Neville is at the Mercedes team. Karun Chandhok is looking forward to 2026, interviewing Adrian Newey about his promotion to Aston Martin lead role. Starting Positions Just 16 cars on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for the driver: following his result of 20th and last in the previous race, leading to an eighth position in the main race, he failed to make it out of Q1 again on the previous day. The team have as a result made changes to his setup and so he will start from the pit lane. Aston Martin's Stroll and the Alpine duo of Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all starting from the same position. Driver Comments "We'll use the experience for tomorrow," states Hadjar, 11th on the grid. There will be plenty of learning. Team Standings It's not all about the drivers' title: McLaren have dominated the constructors' gong but Mercedes, with a 40-point lead over Red Bull, are aiming to seal second place during this event. Russell can assist in this goal from second place, and Antonelli will begin immediately after the leader. Previous Results Piastri won that day – as he managed the previous season, as well. McLaren's Australian is attempting a third consecutive win. Sprint Race Value Right, approximately 20 minutes remaining until the sprint race gets under way. Unless something goes wrong, its main importance is as a preview of future events, instead of highly important in its own right, with only eight points available to the winner. However, the runner-up spot in this race was sufficient for the driver to become champion in a prior season. Max Verstappen wins the championship following his teammate's accident of the short race.