Lewis Hamilton issues apology to team after crashing in practice at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

He completed a 360-degree pirouette before crashing into the barriers head-on, sustaining significant damage to the front of his Ferrari.

His spin came before championship hopeful Lando Norris finished second, just four thousandths of a second behind Mercedes’ George Russell.

Max Verstappen was third, 0.124 seconds off the pace with Oscar Piastri fifth.

Hamilton walked away from the accident, reporting on the radio: "Something buckled at the front and snapped the rear."

He then apologised to his team, retrieving a damaged section of his front wing and putting it on top of his wrecked car, before heading back to the pit lane on the back of a moped.

The one-hour running was red-flagged for 13 minutes as Hamilton’s Ferrari was removed from the track.

With qualifying due to start at 2pm, Hamilton’s mechanics will have less than three hours to repair his car.

Hamilton, 40, has endured a painful first season with Ferrari and is set to end the year without a single podium finish after leaving Mercedes for what he described as a lifelong dream to race in red.

His lone high point came from a sprint race win in China.

The struggles were highlighted by the worst qualifying result of his career in Las Vegas, where he started 20th before salvaging points.

Despite the frustrations and admitting this may be the toughest season he has ever had, Hamilton insisted he does not regret joining Ferrari, calling himself resilient and emphasising the personal growth he found through adversity.

As the year progressed, he hinted that deeper structural and personnel changes may be required for the team to improve heading into 2026.

Meanwhile, speculation grew around his long-term future, with reports suggesting Ferrari may not extend his contract beyond 2026, raising questions about whether his tenure in Maranello can recover from such a difficult debut year.

Meanwhile, Lando Norris admitted his world championship prospects are "looking good" after he stole an early advantage by dominating practice in Formula One’s hotly anticipated season finale in Abu Dhabi.

Norris, who will secure his maiden title if he finishes at least third in Sunday’s 58-lap race, saw off rival Max Verstappen by a commanding 0.363 seconds under the lights of the Yas Marina Circuit.

Norris’ McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri, the other championship contender, could manage only 11th.

Norris is on the brink of being crowned champion of the world but faces intense competition from Red Bull’s Verstappen, who is 12 points behind him.

Piastri also remains in the battle, albeit four points back.

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