Lewis Hamilton stated “you could not make it up” after he was eradicated from the primary a part of qualifying in his remaining race for Mercedes on the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The seven-time champion, who’s transferring to Ferrari subsequent season after 12 years of unprecedented success at Mercedes, certified 18th for the race. He’ll begin sixteenth after penalties for different drivers.
Hamilton was in disbelief on the approach his qualifying fell aside, as he collected a bollard dislodged by Kevin Magnussen’s Haas after the Dane tried to get out of the Briton’s approach on the finish of the primary qualifying session.
He advised BBC Sport that qualifying “could not have gone worse actually”.
Hamilton added: “Daily and greater than ever I’ve simply tried to be actually current, simply attempting to take it in as a result of it is the final time we will likely be racing and driving in Silver Arrows and it is all my wins, all my success by means of my life.
“So each second is a particular second and I might have cherished to get a podium for the fellows this weekend and it simply did not work out.”
Hamilton has received six of his record-equalling seven world titles for Mercedes and brought 84 of his all-time document 105 grand prix victories with the crew, who took eight consecutive constructors’ championships from 2014-21.
He had been on the right track to progress into the second a part of qualifying however the bollard lodged below his ground for the ultimate 4 corners of the lap, making it unattainable for the automotive to carry out as supposed.
“You could not make it up, you actually could not, however it’s what it’s,” Hamilton stated.
“We gave it all the pieces. I gave it all the pieces. The automotive was in place. Each observe session went properly, I used to be forward of my team-mate all weekend however after we acquired to qualifying I feel as a crew we did not carry out by way of the timing.
“I used to be the final automotive on observe and ran out of time in the end, after which I acquired the bollard on the finish which went below the automotive and I misplaced all downforce so it could not have gone worse actually.”
Mercedes crew boss Toto Wolff advised Sky Sports activities: “I simply have to apologise to Lewis and to everybody within the crew for working so onerous to make it an awesome finish for him.
“He was the faster man with that form of set-up that we selected on the automotive and in addition to experiment for subsequent yr and we completely let him down.
“An idiotic mistake of not going earlier, inexcusable, inexcusable. I’ve actually been so down about what has occurred and it possibly summarises the final races we have had with him, however that is the worst a part of it as a result of it was simply idiotic.
“Our most respected racing driver ever, essentially the most priceless racing driver of this sport will get out in Q1 as a result of we make a mistake and that does not destroy all of the legacy we have now with him however I can solely make an apology to him.”
