Turn 14 at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit – the spot that impacted Lewis Hamilton’s life so badly three years ago. And where his final qualifying session for Mercedes ended in disappointment on Saturday night when a bollard got caught under his car, as Lando Norris took pole position.
This was the corner where Nicholas Latifi crashed his Williams in 2021, bringing out the safety car that was later controversially withdrawn to set up Max Verstappen to pass Hamilton and win the title.
The Briton thus missed out on the eighth world crown that was his heart’s desire, a blow from which he has struggled to recover.
On Saturday, on a flying lap, he collected the stray plastic pole, as he was scrambling for survival too late on in Q1. The handicap caused him to qualify 18th, though he provisionally starts 16th once penalties are applied to others.
‘That was bad man, Jesus,’ he said.
‘Yes, it was bad,’ responded Toto Wolff, the Mercedes team principal, who dropped his head in dejection as Hamilton bombed out on the eve of his 246th and valedictory race for the Silver Arrows.
Lewis Hamilton has been eliminated during the first round of qualifying for this final race in a Mercedes at Sunday’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
The seven-time world champion was keen to leave his constructor of 11 years on a high before making the seismic shift to rivals Ferrari next season
George Russell (front) Hamilton leave the pit lane during the qualifying for the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Wolff later said that Hamilton being sent out as the seconds ticked down was ‘idiotic and inexcusable’.
George Russell, in the other Mercedes, just clambered to safety, going on to qualify seventh before being promoted a place when Haas’s Nico Hulkenberg was penalised for overtaking in the pit tunnel. Hamilton was matching Russell until the bollard – knocked into his path by Haas’s Kevin Magnussen – intervened.
‘You couldn’t make it up, you really couldn’t, but it is what it is,’ sighed Hamilton. ‘We gave it everything. I gave it everything. The car was in a good place. Every practice session went well.
‘But when we got to qualifying we didn’t perform as a team in terms of the timing.
‘I was the last car on track. Then, I got the bollard and I lost all downforce. It couldn’t have gone worse.
‘I would have loved to get a podium for the guys this weekend, but it just didn’t work out.’
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri qualified in second place behind his team-mate Norris, which is fabulous news for McLaren, who are defending a 21-point lead over Ferrari at the top of the constructors’ table.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc qualified 14th after his time was deleted for exceeding track limits. He faces a further penalty for taking a new engine and is carded to start 19th. His team-mate Carlos Sainz was third quickest. Verstappen will start fourth for Red Bull.