Lewis Hamilton saw his chance for one last podium finish with Mercedes vanish during the qualifying round in Abu Dhabi. The seven-time world champion was knocked out of the session in Q1, partly due to a dislodged bollard. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff can only apologize to the departing driver.
During the British driver’s final qualifying session for the team, Mercedes made a daring decision and sent Hamilton onto the track late in Q1. The seven-time world champion then accidentally drove over a bollard, which had been dislodged earlier by Kevin Magnussen. As a result, Hamilton will start from the back of the field in his last race for Mercedes. Team boss Toto Wolff takes responsibility for Hamilton’s misfortune.
“I have to apologize to Lewis,” Wolff tells the media present in Abu Dhabi. “And also to everyone on the team who has worked so hard to make it a great ending for him. He was the fastest with the setup we had chosen.”
“We completely let him down. An idiotic mistake not to go earlier. Unforgivable, unforgivable! I have rarely been so gloomy about what has happened,” the Austrian continues. This is the second time in the last four races that Hamilton has been knocked out in Q1 of the qualifying round. “Perhaps it’s a summary of the last races we’ve run with him,” Wolff admits about Hamilton’s disappointing results. “But this is the worst, because it was just idiotic.”
Apologies
Wolff does believe that Hamilton could have qualified better if the bollard had not been stuck under the W15. “Our most valuable driver ever, the greatest driver of this sport is knocked out in Q1 because we made a mistake. It doesn’t ruin our legacy, but I can only say sorry to him,” the team boss concludes.
