Another Q1 elimination for the British champion. He will start 16th in Abu Dhabi.
Closing the season on a low note
After the crash suffered in FP3, Ferrari worked at maximum speed to give Lewis Hamilton a repaired SF-25 in time for qualifying. However, the British driver was unable to escape Q1, missing the cut by just eight thousandths of a second. As a result, the Ferrari driver will line up in sixteenth place on the starting grid for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
A nightmare year
During the post-qualifying interviews, Lewis Hamilton could not hide his disappointment after yet another difficult session: “Most of the lap was good, I just wasn’t able to finish it properly. The team did an exceptional job and they definitely deserve better. I have no words to express how sorry I am for the team and for the fans.”
Asked by Canal+ what he expects from 2026, Hamilton sounded discouraged: “Right now I’m not looking that far ahead…”.
Uncertain outlook for the Abu Dhabi race
The prospects for Sunday’s race at Yas Marina are not optimistic: “There’s not much I can do from there. Every week it’s the same thing, but I’ll give it a try.”
Journalists then asked the Ferrari driver whether the winter break could help him reset after a season to forget. Lewis Hamilton replied: “Only time will tell, it’s the shortest break ever.”
For a driver who joined Ferrari chasing history with an eighth world title, 2025 has delivered nothing but pain so far. With the championship already decided and no points pressure remaining, Sunday’s race represents Lewis Hamilton’s final chance to show flashes of the brilliance that made him the sport’s GOAT – but even he admits the cards are stacked firmly against him from the back of the top 20.
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