'Just my luck': Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes farewell 'destroyed' by rogue bollard, 'idiotic' mistake
Any hopes Lewis Hamilton had of a fairytale farewell from Mercedes were dashed by a stray bollard.
Having run in the top-five for much of the weekend, the Ferrari-bound star suffered a shock early exit in qualifying for the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday morning (AEDT).
"I messed that up big time guys, that was bad," Hamilton said on team radio, before replays revealed the nightmare performance wasn't entirely his fault.
READ MORE: 'Don't repeat that': 'Villain' send off leaves Head filthy
READ MORE: Next gen Tillies send Polks off in style in epic win
READ MORE: Hawthorn tagger's boyhood dream comes true
The Haas of Kevin Magnussen was trying to get out of the way when he clipped an apex bollard, which sent it careering into Hamilton's path.
Already committed to the corner and on a fast lap, Hamilton had no chance of avoiding it. The bollard became lodged under the front of the car, ruining the final part of the lap.
Lewis Hamilton had no chance of avoiding the bollard knocked into his path. Fox Sports
"That would've destroyed the aerodynamics on Lewis' car, and that explains then why he had no pace," Martin Brundle said in commentary.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Hamilton conceded there wasn't a lot he could do.
"Just my luck," he quipped.
"We got the car in a good place. It was looking good in (practice) and I was thinking maybe a podium was possible this weekend."
Hamilton crossed the line to start his final lap in Q1 with barely seconds remaining on the clock.
The bollard was lodged underneath the car for the end of the lap. Fox Sports
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff apologised to the seven-time world champion, and said it was an "idiotic" mistake from the team to not send him out onto the track earlier.
"I just need to apologise to Lewis. We totally let him down," he said.
"An idiotic mistake not to go earlier. Inexcusable, inexcusable. I've rarely been so down about what has happened.
"It doesn't ruin the legacy we have, but I can only say sorry to him."
Hamilton said he was looking forward to "having some fun" driving through the field in the race.
Oscar Piastri will start the race from the front row. Getty
Meanwhile, McLaren looks set to end its 26-year drought in the constructors' championship as Lando Norris led teammate Oscar Piastri in securing a front-row lockout.
Ferrari lie 21 points adrift of the papaya-clad squad, but face an uphill battle to mount any kind of challenge. Carlos Sainz will start the race third, but teammate Charles Leclerc will start from the back.
Leclerc briefly set the quickest time in Q2, before it was deleted for exceeding track limits at the exit of the first corner, relegating him to 14th. He also has a 10-place grid penalty for a new battery unit, relegating him to the rear.
While Norris couldn't stop Max Verstappen retaining the drivers' title, he said winning the constructors' championship with McLaren means a lot.
Jack Doohan will start his maiden F1 race from the back of the field. Getty
"It was hard just to break that barrier of getting close to Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull, because for such a long period of time they’ve been the guys who have dominated Formula 1,” he said.
Nico Hulkenberg was a surprise fourth for Haas — but later got a three-place grid penalty for overtaking in the pit exit tunnel — and champion Verstappen fifth.
Aussie Jack Doohan was slowest on his debut for Alpine.
The race will begin at midnight (AEDT).
- With AP
