Hamilton's 'Anger' Boils Over After Painful Q1 Exit in Abu Dhabi

Lewis Hamilton's final qualifying session of 2025 ended on yet another bleak note under the Yas Marina floodlights, with the seven-time world champion confessing to "a lot of anger" after being knocked out in Q1 for the fourth race weekend in a row. This continual slide marks a bitter end to what he has described as his most difficult Formula 1 campaign to date, a stark contrast to his usual front-running form.

Why it matters:

Lewis Hamilton's struggle in the Abu Dhabi Q1, marking his fourth consecutive early exit, underscores the deep-seated performance issues at Ferrari. For a driver of his caliber, such results are not just personally frustrating but signal a critical challenge for the team as they head into the offseason. His candid expression of "a lot of anger" highlights the immense pressure and disappointment felt within the team, casting a shadow over Ferrari's immediate future and raising questions about their competitiveness.

The details:

• Compromised Preparation: Hamilton's preparations for the Abu Dhabi GP were hampered by several factors.
  • He missed FP1 as Ferrari handed his car to Arthur Leclerc to fulfill rookie running rules, reducing his track time to get acquainted with the circuit.
  • A crash in FP3 further limited his practice, losing crucial laps to set up the car. Hamilton attributed the crash to "some bottoming" and losing the rear at Turn 9, with the team confirming "bouncing" as a contributing factor.
• Q1 Elimination: In qualifying, Hamilton missed out on Q2 by a mere 0.008 seconds, placing him 16th on the grid. This marks his fourth consecutive Q1 exit, a statistic rarely associated with the multiple-time world champion.
• Frustration Boils Over: When asked about this streak, Hamilton's frustration was palpable. He stated, "I don't have the words to express how I feel, just a lot of anger."
• Grim Race Prospects: Looking ahead to Sunday's race from 16th, Hamilton showed resignation, stating, "There’s not a lot you can do." He cynically added, "It's the same thing every weekend for me, so give it a shot," when asked about a potential long stint on hard tires.

The big picture:

Hamilton's struggles are emblematic of Ferrari's broader performance issues in the latter half of the season. While Charles Leclerc has managed to extract some flashes of performance, Hamilton's end-of-season races have been more about damage limitation rather than contending for strong points. This underperformance is particularly concerning given the high expectations surrounding Hamilton's move to Ferrari, a partnership that was once anticipated to deliver immediate results. The current situation suggests a significant gap the team needs to bridge to consistently challenge the frontrunners.

What's next:

The shortest winter break offers little immediate relief for Hamilton and Ferrari. The team faces an arduous task of diagnosing and resolving the fundamental issues plaguing their car's performance and reliability. The focus will undoubtedly shift to preparing for the 2026 season, which Hamilton has already expressed concerns about, fearing it "might be worse." The upcoming months will be crucial for Ferrari to regroup, innovate, and aim for a stronger return, as their current trajectory is far from championship contention.