Hamilton's Final Qualifying Ends in Disappointment

Lewis Hamilton's final qualifying session with Mercedes at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ended in disappointment as he was eliminated in Q1. A dislodged bollard, struck by Kevin Magnussen’s car, became trapped under Hamilton's vehicle during his last attempt, severely impacting his aerodynamic performance. Finishing 18th out of 20 drivers, Hamilton fell short of advancing to Q2 by a mere 0.093 seconds. Both Hamilton and team principal Toto Wolff expressed their frustration over the unfortunate circumstances surrounding the session.

This elimination marked a distressing conclusion to Hamilton's illustrious tenure with Mercedes, where he secured six world titles. As he prepares for a new chapter with Ferrari in 2025, this race highlighted the challenges he faced in recent events, with this being his third Q1 knock-out in the last six races. Hamilton acknowledged a mistake on his part during the lap, compounded by the chaotic influence of other drivers on track.