🔗 Share this article Qatar's Short Race and Grand Prix Grid Setting: Live Coverage Opening Notes The author will be here shortly to take you through this day's sprint race (2pm GMT) and grid-setting session (6pm). Current Events Starting Lap Period The warm-up lap has started. Track Information There are nineteen laps around the lengthiest track in Formula One, David Croft reminds us. Countdown The countdown has begun. Driver Situation One point in Max Verstappen's favour: his fellow driver Tsunoda is ahead of him by one place. He is unlikely to challenge the team's lead driver. Media Conversations Sky interviewing Sky now: Gary Neville is with Mercedes. Karun Chandhok is looking forward to the 2026 season, speaking with Adrian Newey about his stepping up to the team team principal. Starting Positions There are only sixteen vehicles on the grid. It was another poor grid-setting session for Lewis Hamilton: after coming 20th and last in the previous race, leading to an eighth-place finish in the grand prix, he failed to make it out of the first qualifying segment again on Friday. Ferrari have as a result adjusted to his setup 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. Driver Comments "We take the learning for tomorrow," states Isack Hadjar, starting eleventh. There will be a lot of that. Constructors' Championship The focus isn't solely on the individual championship: The team have run away with the constructors' gong but the team, with a forty-point advantage over their rivals, will be hoping to secure the runner-up position during this event. George Russell can assist in this goal from second place, and Kimi Antonelli will begin immediately after Verstappen. Previous Results Oscar Piastri won that day – as he did last year, too. The driver from McLaren is attempting a hat-trick. Sprint Race Value Right, just over twenty minutes to go till the short race begins. Unless something goes wrong, it's greatest value is as a preview of what is to come, instead of highly important in its itself, with only eight points available to the victor. However, second place here was enough for Verstappen to become champion in a prior season. Max Verstappen wins the championship following his teammate's accident of Qatar GP sprint race.