What the teams said – Qualifying at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Mercedes

Hamilton had nothing however dangerous luck in qualifying. He was up on the time he wanted on his final run in Q1, solely to run over a bollard that rolled onto the racing line as Magnussen forward tried to get out of his means. That received lodged beneath his automotive, costing him time and meant in his final qualifying with Mercedes, he exited in Q1. Russell had complained about his automotive in FP3, however someway dragged it into Q3. As soon as there he couldn’t discover the tempo to problem for the entrance row, winding up seventh.

READ MORE: Hamilton disheartened by Q1 exit in Abu Dhabi as Wolff apologises for ‘inexcusable’ and ‘idiotic’ mistake

Lewis Hamilton, 18th, 1:23.887

“Right now was actually unlucky. We’ve labored so exhausting to get the automotive into a very good place and it has been feeling sturdy all weekend. Sadly, our timing on the finish of Q1 wasn’t the perfect. We weren’t in a position to optimise the out lap, having to push by way of visitors. That compromised my final effort in that session; a bollard then received caught beneath the automotive at flip 14 and affected the ultimate few corners of the lap. To that time, I used to be degree on tempo with George and searching good to make it by way of to Q2. It’s clearly actually irritating.

“It’s troublesome to say what would have been doable if we had made it by way of to the ultimate a part of Qualifying. We have now been wanting good throughout the apply classes so I feel we might have challenged for the primary couple of rows. It’s what it’s although, and I can be giving it my all to finish as strongly as we will tomorrow. It will likely be troublesome from P17, however I can be attempting to get pleasure from it as a lot as doable and make up as many positions as we will.”

George Russell, seventh, 1:23.132

“It has been an odd weekend for us as a staff. It’s been very up and down. There’s been moments the place we’ve appeared fast after which different instances after we’re unsure the place the tempo has gone. We’re a little bit confused by that however, on my aspect of the storage, we didn’t have the velocity to combat for the primary couple of rows as we speak. That’s irritating however P7 is probably going the perfect we might have hoped for as we speak. It was an actual disgrace for Lewis too. He’s been actually fast this weekend, forward of me comfortably, and I feel he would have been proper up there on the finish of Q3.

“Waiting for tomorrow, will probably be robust to maneuver ahead. It’s maybe stunning to see the Alpine of Pierre Gasly and the Haas of Nico Hulkenberg up there, however I feel firstly they did a tremendous job and secondly, I feel that their tempo this weekend is real. We can have a combat on our fingers however we are going to take that on and look to finish the season as strongly as we will.”

Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport

“We have to apologise to Lewis and everybody within the staff who has labored so exhausting to ship an amazing last weekend for him right here in Abu Dhabi. He has been fast throughout all three apply classes and was wanting good for a robust outcome tomorrow. Sadly, we completely let him down on the finish of Q1. We made the error of not sending the drivers out early sufficient. That compromised each their out laps after which their last push laps as they wrestled by way of visitors. Lewis was then moreover compromised by a bollard turning into caught beneath his automotive. With out that, he would seemingly have gotten by way of, however we shouldn’t have been risking a lot in Q1.

“It will likely be very troublesome for Lewis to get again to the place he ought to have been racing tomorrow. However, I do know he can be giving it completely the whole lot to take action. That’s his character and at all times has been. With George beginning P7, we will even be wanting ahead, however we have to be practical. The automobiles forward of him have appeared fast and will probably be difficult to make progress. Hopefully we will get pleasure from a greater day than as we speak although and finish the season on a excessive.”

Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director

“That was a troublesome night and one that did not go the best way we had hoped. Firstly, we will solely apologise to Lewis for his Q1 exit. Visitors is at all times a problem right here in Qualifying and one thing that you just account for. Sadly, we did not get it fairly proper. Each automobiles left the pit lane behind the queue; with overtaking within the tunnel not allowed, many automobiles forward took the chance to kind bigger gaps to the automotive in entrance than regular. That left Lewis and George on the again foot and having to chop their means by way of visitors on the out lap to make the flag. They have been then additional compromised by having lower than very best gaps to the automotive forward of them. All that mentioned, each have been on tempo to make it by way of to Q2 earlier than a unfastened bollard turned caught beneath Lewis’s automotive at flip 14. That impacted him within the last few corners and, in an already tight session, price him a few important few tenths.

“It’s not the best way we wished to move into our last race day collectively. We can be doing the whole lot we will tomorrow to allow Lewis to work his means again by way of the sector. Combating drives are an absolute speciality of his and we all know he can be giving it his all to finish our time collectively on a excessive.

“On George’s aspect, he has struggled tempo clever a little bit extra this weekend. We might want to consider why that’s however, within the meantime, our focus is on attempting to make good points tomorrow. Ranging from P7 that can be robust. The sphere is shut, and we all know overtaking is a problem right here. However, we are going to see what we will do and hope that we will end the yr extra strongly than we did as we speak.”