A furious Toto Wolff apologised to Lewis Hamilton for the "idiotic" and "inexcusable" decisions by Mercedes in Abu Dhabi GP Qualifying which have left the Briton in 16th place on the grid for his final race at the team.
On a weekend which had started with great promise of a strong swansong result as Hamilton ran strongly through practice in the top five on the timesheet, the seven-time champion was eliminated in the first stage of qualifying for the third time in the last six events.
However, while Hamilton may have struggled with the team's car in qualifying for much of this year, an incandescent Wolff blamed Saturday's early exit squarely on the team's execution of the end of Q1 when the 39-year-old was sent back onto track too late amid the traffic of other cars.
Hamilton's chances of Q2 progression were ultimately undone late in his final lap by the misfortune of running over a loose bollard, which had been dislodged by Kevin Magnussen as the Haas moved off track just ahead of him, which then became wedged under the Mercedes' floor - costing the car downforce and crucial performance.
The Briton was still on course to progress to Q2 before that incident, but Wolff made no excuses for the team's timing errors.
"I just need to apologise to Lewis and also everyone in the team that worked so hard in making it a great end for him," the Mercedes team principal told Sky Sports F1.
"He was the quicker guy with that set-up we chose on the car to also experiment for next year and we totally let him down.
"An idiotic mistake of not going earlier. Inexcusable, inexcusable.
"I have rarely been so down about what has happened. Maybe it summarises the last races we have had with him, but this is the worst part of it because it was just idiotic."
"We were lucky that both of them wrestled their way through the traffic. Maybe without the bollard it would have worked.
"But you don't risk so much in Q1 where we easily had the pace to make it out."
A rueful Wolff, whose team have rewritten the record books with Hamilton over the past 12 years, added: "Our most valuable racing driver ever, the most valuable and greatest driver of this sport goes out in Q1 because we make a mistake.
"That doesn't ruin all the legacy we have with him, but I can only say sorry to him."
The Mercedes chief admitted that hopes of a final podium for Hamilton as a Silver Arrows driver were now forlorn from down on the grid's eighth row. Hamilton qualified 18th but is promoted two places on Sunday's grid due to penalties for Charles Leclerc and Alex Albon.
"He was there. We would have had a real go for the podium," Wolff added. "He was P3 this morning and now it's pretty much impossible from where he is."
George Russell, who had started on pole position at the previous two races, could only manage seventh in the other car.
Hamilton: Qualifying misfortune 'just my luck'
While naturally disappointed and frustrated by the cruel Q1 turn of events too, Hamilton offered a philosophical approach to the major setback to his final weekend at the Silver Arrows.
"Just my luck, but it's ok," he told Sky Sports F1.
"We tried so hard with the set-up, we got the car in a great place, and it was looking good in P3 so I was really thinking 'maybe a podium is possible this weekend'.
"Then the timing was not optimised with the session because I was the last one on the track and obviously I ended up behind one of the Alpines right at the end, so I just ran out of time."
Hamilton said he would now try to mount a comeback in the 58-lap Grand Prix.
"I'll try to. As I said, the car has been feeling decent," he said. "To go from P1, P2 I was always relatively in the top five to then be in 18th definitely changes the look into the weekend but I'm still trying to be really present. I'm still really grateful.
"The car has been completely different this weekend, it's been so much nicer to drive, so my hopes were high but it is what it is. I'll try to come back from that."
Sky Sports F1's live Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Sunday December 8
7.10am: F1 Academy Race Three
9.20am: F2 Feature Race
11.30am: Grand Prix Sunday: Abu Dhabi GP build-up
1pm: The ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX
3pm: Chequered Flag: Abu Dhabi GP reaction
4pm: Ted's Notebook
*also live on Sky Sports Main Event
Watch the final race of the 2024 Formula 1 season - the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - live on Sky Sports F1, with Sunday's race at 1pm. Get Sky Sports F1 or stream with NOW
