Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton says qualifying ‘couldn’t have been worse’

Hamilton said: “Every day and more than ever I’ve just tried to be really present, just trying to take it in because this is the last time we’ll be racing and driving in the Silver Arrows and it’s all my wins, All my success is my life.

“So every moment is a special moment and I would have loved to get a podium for the guys this weekend and it didn’t work out.”

Hamilton has won six of his record-equalling seven world titles for Mercedes and 84 of his all-time record 105 grand prix wins with the team, which won eight consecutive Constructors’ Championships from 2014–21.

He was on target to lead in the second part of qualifying, but the bollard got stuck under his floor in the last four corners of the lap, making it impossible for the car to perform as intended.

“You can’t make it up, you really can’t, but it is what it is,” Hamilton said.

“We gave it everything. I gave it everything. The car was in a good place. Every practice session went good, I was ahead of my teammate the whole weekend, but when we got to qualifying I think a team As we didn’t do it.” Perform as per time.

“I was the last car on the track and eventually timed out, and then I got the bollard at the end that went under the car and I lost all my power, so it really couldn’t have been worse.”

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff told Sky Sports: “I have to apologize to Lewis and everyone at the team who worked so hard to make it a great finish for him.

“The kind of set-up we chose for the car and to experiment with for next year, he was the kind of fast guy and we completely let him down.

“A stupid mistake of not going first, unforgivable, unforgivable. I’m really saddened by what happened and that probably sums up our last race with him, but that’s the worst part of it because it was just stupid.

“Our most valuable racing driver of all time, the most valuable racing driver in this sport goes out in Q1 because we make a mistake and it doesn’t ruin our entire legacy with him, but I can only apologize to him.”