Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton Holding 'Unbelievable Anger' As Ferrari Misery Continues

The seven-time F1 world champion again fell in Q1 during Abu Dhabi Grand Prix qualifying.
Ewan Gale|
Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Lewis Hamilton cut a dejected figure as his Ferrari struggles continued at the Formula 1 season finale at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The seven-time world champion made the move to the Scuderia from Mercedes over the winter in what was a fairytale move on the face of it, not just for driver and team but for F1 as a sport.

But it has turned into a self-proclaimed nightmare, particularly late in the season as Hamilton has been unable to get on top of what is clearly a difficult car to find pace with, as underlined by teammate Charles Leclerc's own complaints in recent months.

At the Yas Marina Circuit, Hamilton's Saturday followed the narrative written in Las Vegas and Qatar.

Hamilton dejected

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari

The Briton crashed out of final practice after losing the rear end of his SF-25 at the high-speed Turn 9, the damage was extensive, forcing his team into a rapid repair job in order to get Hamilton back out for qualifying.

He looked on track to reward that effort with a first Q2 appearance since the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, only for a poor final sector to leave him at risk of elimination.

The hammer blow came when Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto improved with his final lap of the segment, leaving Hamilton 0.008s adrift of the cut line.

When told he would line-up 16th on the grid for the final race of the campaign by race engineer Ricardo Adami, Hamilton replied: "Every time mate. I'm sorry."

And the theory that the qualifying performance was down to driver rather than car, Hamilton suggested work overnight to improve his machinery had worked.

"We made lots of changes, the car felt great today," a forlorn Hamilton told Sky Sports UK in what transpired to be just a 10-word interview.

Asked whether his radio message referred to his own performance rather than the car, Hamilton simply nodded, as he did when further pressed as to whether it was a case of him being unable to understand why he was off the pace.

Then, speaking to Sky Italy, Hamilton added "I have an unbelievable amount of anger," and that he 'doesn't have the words' to describe the situation, having become the first Ferrari driver to exit Q1 on three consecutive occasions since 2009, when Luca Badoer and Giancarlo Fisichella both deputized for the injured Felipe Massa.

Leclerc, meanwhile, wrestled his Ferrari to fifth on the grid, slower than just pole sitter Max Verstappen, the two McLarens and Mercedes' George Russell.

The Monegasque confirmed that he had also "completely changed" the car after Friday night, though his final position in qualifying was "a surprise".

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Ewan Gale
EWAN GALE

Ewan is a motorsport journalist covering F1 for Grand Prix On SI. Having been educated at Silverstone, the home of the British Grand Prix, and subsequently graduating from university with a sports journalism degree, Ewan made a move into F1 in 2021. Ewan joins after a stint with Autosport as an editor, having written for a number of outlets including RacingNews365 and GPFans, during which time he has covered grand prix and car launches as an accredited member of the media.

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