🔗 Share this article Qatar's Short Race and Grand Prix Grid Setting: Live Coverage Opening Notes Our correspondent will be here shortly to take you through this day's sprint race (14:00 GMT) and grid-setting session (18:00 GMT). Live Feed Starting Lap Time The starting lap has started. Track Information There are 19 laps of the longest circuit in Formula One, David Croft points out. Final Moments The countdown is underway. Driver Situation An advantage in Verstappen's favour: his fellow driver Yuki Tsunoda is in front of him by one place. He is unlikely to mess with Red Bull's lead driver. Media Conversations Sky interviewing Sky currently: Gary Neville is with Mercedes. Karun Chandhok is jumping ahead to the 2026 season, interviewing the engineer about his stepping up to the team team principal. Starting Positions Just 16 cars on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for the driver: following his result of 20th and last in Las Vegas, leading to an eighth-place finish in the main race, he did not manage to advance of Q1 once more on Friday. Ferrari have consequently made changes to his setup and so he will start from the starting area. The team's Stroll and the Alpine duo of Gasly and Colapinto are all starting from the same position. Driver Comments "We take the learning for the next day," says Hadjar, 11th on the grid. Expect a lot of that. Constructors' Championship The focus isn't solely on the individual championship: McLaren have dominated the constructors' gong but Mercedes, with a 40-point lead over Red Bull, are aiming to seal second place this weekend. Russell can assist in this goal from second place, and Antonelli will begin immediately after the leader. Previous Results Oscar Piastri won that day – as he did the previous season, too. McLaren's Australian is going for a third consecutive win. Sprint Race Value Alright, just over 20 minutes remaining till the short race begins. Unless something goes wrong, its main importance is as a preview of what is to come, rather than highly important in its itself, with just eight championship points awarded to the winner. Mind you, the runner-up spot here was sufficient for Verstappen to become champion in a prior season. Max Verstappen claimed F1 world title following his teammate's accident of the short race.