Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, aiming to conclude his final season with Mercedes on a high note, faced an early exit in Q1 during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix qualifying. His session was compromised when Kevin Magnussen struck a bollard, which fell onto the racing line and became lodged under the floor of Hamilton's W15 F1 car.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, on the other hand, regretted sending Hamilton out late in the session. The seven-time world champion had the pace this weekend to qualify in the top 5, especially after being third-fastest in FP3 earlier today. Addressing the setback, Hamilton said:
“I mean, you couldn’t have timed it more perfectly – that bollard.
“It happened just… it was meant to be.
“I was really hopeful. I really thought that we had a chance at getting a podium. The car was feeling good but it wasn’t meant to be in the end.
“I know I did everything right and I’m confident that I’ve taken the right steps this weekend. We’ll try and fight from there.”
He added:
“I’m just trying to be really present and just try to enjoy every moment, every moment with the team even though it wasn’t a great session for us.
“It is what it is and I still enjoy driving the car, and I’m going to enjoy it even more tomorrow.”
Owing to the grid spot penalties levied on Charles Leclerc and Alex Albon, Hamilton will start the race from P16. Wolff, on the other hand, was sorry for the 39-year-old Briton, who had the W15's latest spec on it, meant to be a trial for 2025. Saying that the team let him down, the Mercedes boss told Sky Sports F1:
"I just need to apologise to Lewis.
"Also to everyone in the team that worked so hard to making it a great end for him. He was the quicker guy with that kind of setup that we chose on the car – also to experiment for next year – and we totally let him down.
"An idiotic mistake of not going earlier. Inexcusable. I’ve rarely been so down about what has happened. Maybe it summarises the last races we had with him but this is the worst part of it because it was just idiotic.”
When asked about the Bollard, Wolff suggested that a late start in Q1 is a bad strategy. He explained:
“I think we were lucky that both of them [Russell and Hamilton] wrestled their way through the other traffic and maybe without the bollard it would have worked.
"But you don’t risk so much in a Q1 where we had easily the pace to make it out and our most valuable racing driver ever – the most valuable and greatest driver of this sport – gets out in Q1 because we make a mistake. A dilettante mistake, and that’s just…it doesn’t ruin all the legacy that we have with him but I can only say sorry to him.”
