ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Lewis Hamilton mentioned he would have liked a podium for his ultimate race with Mercedes, however it “did not work out” in qualifying as he begins from the again of the grid for Sunday’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Hamilton was eradicated from Q1 at Yas Marina, and can begin sixteenth on the grid after penalties are utilized to Charles Leclerc and Franco Colapinto.
Hamilton advised reporters afterwards: “Every single day and greater than ever I’ve simply tried to be actually current … simply making an attempt to take it in as a result of it is the final time we can be racing and driving in Silver Arrows and it is all my wins, all my success by way of my life so each second is a particular second.
“I’d have liked to get a podium for the blokes this weekend and it simply did not work out.”
Hamilton will be a part of Ferrari subsequent season, bringing to an finish probably the most profitable team-driver partnership the game has ever seen. The 39-year-old Briton has gained six of his seven world titles with Mercedes.
On Saturday, he didn’t progress by way of the opening qualifying section, ending down in 18th, 0.093 seconds again.
After his lap, Hamilton mentioned: “Yeah, I messed that up large time guys.”
Race engineer Peter Bonnington replied: “Yeah sorry about that Lewis, that was an enormous balls up.”
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff mentioned not sending Hamilton out earlier was an “idiotic mistake” by the staff.
“I simply have to apologise to Lewis,” Wolff advised Sky Sports activities. “Additionally to everybody within the staff that labored so laborious in making it an amazing finish for him. He was the faster man with that form of setup we selected on the automobile to experiment for subsequent yr, we completely let him down.
“Idiotic mistake of not going earlier. Inexcusable, inexcusable. I’ve not often been so down about what has occurred. Perhaps it 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.”
The top of Q1 was weird, with a number of vehicles all preventing over a small quantity of area on the race monitor.
At one stage, Kevin Magnussen had deliberately missed the apex in an effort to get out of the way in which, however in doing so knocked a bollard off the nook and into the street.
Hamilton drove over the bollard as he rounded the nook and replays confirmed him driving into one other nook with it caught beneath his automobile.
It was unclear whether or not Hamilton began his ultimate lap with the bollard nonetheless there, however even when it compromised a few of his preparation lap he could really feel it value him a spot in Q2.
“You could not make it up, you actually could not, however it’s what it’s. We gave it every thing, I gave it every thing, the automobile was in an excellent place,” Hamilton mentioned.
“Each follow session went effectively, I used to be forward of my teammate all weekend however once we received to qualifying I feel as a staff we did not carry out when it comes to the timing.
“I used to be the final automobile on monitor and ran out of time finally, after which I received the bollard on the finish which went below the automobile and I misplaced all downforce so it could not have gone worse actually.”
When requested how he’ll really feel waking up within the morning, realizing this can be his ultimate race with the staff, Hamilton mentioned: “It will be like I made it. I survived a really, very hardcore yr.
“Though I will be unhappy to not be racing any extra this yr, however hopefully subsequent yr comes round quickly sufficient. Simply going to overlook all these those that I started working with.”