Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has issued a heartfelt apology to Lewis Hamilton following a “stupid” strategic blunder that led to the seven-time world champion’s shock exit during qualifying for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
In what should have been a celebratory farewell to his tenure with Mercedes, Hamilton was instead left at the back of the grid for his final race with the team, a disappointing end to an illustrious partnership.
“I just need to apologise to Lewis and to everyone in the team who worked so hard to give him a great send-off,” Wolff admitted. “He was the quicker guy with the set-up we chose, but we totally let him down. It was an idiotic mistake not to send him out earlier. Inexcusable. I’ve rarely been so disappointed.”
Hamilton had entered the weekend with high expectations, having set the fastest time in the final practice session at Yas Marina Circuit, a track where he boasts a record five pole positions and five wins.
Reflecting on the costly error, Wolff said, “Our most valuable racing driver, the greatest in the sport’s history, gets eliminated in Q1 because of a team error. It doesn’t tarnish his legacy, but I can only say sorry to him.”
The mistake stemmed from poor timing during Hamilton’s run, leaving him vulnerable to track conditions and traffic. “You don’t risk so much in Q1 when we clearly had the pace to advance,” Wolff explained.
Despite the setback, Hamilton remained composed and was determined to make the most of his final race with the Silver Arrows. Wolff vowed to support the outgoing star, saying, “It’s simple. We wanted to do so well for him this weekend, and we failed. We’ll be clever in the race and fight to give him the best possible finish.”
Hamilton’s upcoming move to Ferrari for the 2024 season adds a new dimension to the F1 narrative, setting the stage for a dramatic finale to this year’s championship and an exciting new chapter in his storied career.
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