Lewis Hamilton experienced a disastrous qualification for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The seven-time world champion was surprisingly eliminated in Q1. A loose bollard ended up under his car, forcing him to abort his fast lap. Afterwards, Hamilton, who has shown a lack of motivation in recent weeks, seemed neither hot nor cold about the disappointing result.
“I just had bad luck, but that’s okay,” Lewis Hamilton responded to Sky Sports. “We had the car set up well after training; it felt like a podium was possible this weekend. But the timing of the session did not work in our favor. I was the last on the track and ended up behind an Alpine, which simply left me with too little time.” In his last attempt to make it into the top fifteen, disaster struck. Kevin Magnussen knocked a bollard loose, which then got stuck under the floor of Hamilton’s car. The Mercedes driver aborted his fast lap and was eliminated.
Due to the grid penalties of Charles Leclerc and Alexander Albon, Lewis Hamilton will ultimately start in sixteenth place. Although he has given up all hope of a podium, he remains determined to end his last race with Mercedes on a positive note. “I’ll keep trying,” he said. “The car feels much better this weekend; it’s really more pleasant to drive. My expectations were high, but this is just the way it is. I remain focused and will see what I can do in the race.
