Lewis Hamilton will start his final race for Mercedes from his lowest-ever grid spot for an Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after only registering the 18th fastest time during qualifying.
The 39-year-old will bring the curtain down on the most successful driver-team combination Formula 1 has ever seen at the Abu Dhabi GP, with Hamilton quitting Mercedes for Ferrari in 2025. He will take over the drive beside Charles Leclerc that Carlos Sainz currently occupies.
Qualifying was often one area where Hamilton excelled with Mercedes, resulting in 78 of his record 104 pole positions. But a bollard prevented the Briton from potentially adding to that tally and also likely prevented Hamilton from bowing out of his Mercedes career with a high.
Martin Brundle issues ‘ouch’ reaction to Lewis Hamilton’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix qualifying
Hamilton was up on his delta time entering the last sector of the Yas Marina Circuit while he pushed for a place in Q2. But Haas’ Kevin Magnussen flicked a bollard onto the racing line as the Dane tried to get out of the Mercedes star’s way at the end of the first part of qualifying.
Magnussen made extreme measures to try to prevent impeding Hamilton and cut the inside kerb at Turn 14. But, in doing so, he clipped the bollard intended to prevent exceeding track limits. It got wedged under Hamilton’s skid block, ruining the aero balance of his Mercedes’.
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The bollard further meant Hamilton could not improve his provisional 1:23.887 in Q1 for the Abu Dhabi GP and exited qualifying in Q1. But the Briton will move to P16 on the grid due to a five-place grid penalty for Williams’ Alex Albon and a 10-place penalty for Ferrari’s Leclerc.
Hamilton was straight on Mercedes’ team radio to admit that he, ‘Messed that up big time’, despite the bollard causing his Q1 exit at the Abu Dhabi GP. Martin Brundle was also instant to react, questioning why the seven-time champion’s speed had disappeared after practice.
“Ouch, where did that pace go?” Brundle said on Sky Sports F1 (07/12, 14:19). “He looked really fast through the practice sessions.”
Lewis Hamilton will start his final race for Mercedes from P16 on the Yas Marina grid
Hamilton might have kicked himself for exiting qualifying for the 2024 Abu Dhabi GP and his final race for Mercedes but the bollard brought about his woes, more than any driver errors. It was even especially frustrating for the Briton after being competitive throughout practice.
The Stevenage-born star was the third fastest driver in FP1 with a 1:24.806 and FP3 with his 1:23.823. Those two sessions are less representative, though, owing to them taking place in day light and not at night. But Hamilton was still P5 in the comparable FP2 with his 1:24.119.
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Now, with Hamilton feeling happy with Mercedes’ set-up at the Abu Dhabi GP, he can try to put on one last show in a Silver Arrow by scything through the order. It was a slightly similar situation to when Anthony Davidson last saw Hamilton’s ‘magic’ at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Hamilton made a mess of qualifying in Sin City and had to start from P10 on the grid. But he had the pace to fight over the win and Hamilton charged through the field to come home in P2. A podium in the Abu Dhabi GP may be unlikely but Hamilton can have an interesting day.
