Lewis Hamilton’s misery continues with unwanted record after third straight Q1 exit

Lewis Hamilton’s tough debut season with Ferrari hit a new low in Abu Dhabi as he was knocked out in Q1 for the third race in a row.

Hamilton will start Sunday’s race at the Yas Marina Circuit from 16th on the grid after another disappointing qualifying session.

The seven-time world champion crashed his Ferrari in FP3, putting him on the back foot heading into qualifying.

Unlike his main rivals, Hamilton produced a scrappy lap at the end of Q1, failing to find significant time on his second effort.

This left him vulnerable, and he dropped into the bottom five again.

It means Hamilton has now failed to make it beyond Q1 at three consecutive races, setting a new record for a full-time Ferrari driver.

Hamilton now holds the record outright with three straight weekends knocked out in Q1.

This excludes Giancarlo Fisichella's run of Q1 exits as a stand-in for Felipe Massa in 2009.

Speaking after qualifying, Hamilton was asked about his apology over team radio following his early exit.

He explained: “I don’t think there are any words to express how sorry I am for the team and for the fans.”

Hamilton “not looking” to 2026

Hamilton will be looking forward to the winter break ahead of a big year in 2026.

There’s no doubt this season has been the most difficult of his F1 career to date.

Hamilton has yet to finish on the podium since joining Ferrari.

His poor form has led to speculation over how long he will remain at the team.

In terms of 2026, Hamilton is “not looking that far ahead” and refused to elaborate on any plans for the winter.

“At the moment, I’m not looking that far ahead,” he added.

When asked about plans for the winter break, he said: “At the moment, no.”

Ferrari will be under immense pressure in 2026 to deliver a race-winning car.

They remain the only team inside the top four of the constructors’ championship without a victory.