Outside Line: We just saw the beginning of the end of Hamilton

Sir Lewis Hamilton, a driver who for two decades has enchanted me, is personally one of my favourites from the minute he hit the scene. From GP2 Series, through to Formula 1 and his fabulous 2007 rookie season with McLaren. A year later, he was World Champion!

On to the big gamble with Mercedes in 2013, which became the incredible winning machine he spearheaded to six F1 drivers' titles during a long spell of unprecedented dominance. He will always be a candidate for The F1 GOAT. Although his fall from grace this season has done his distinguished legacy no favours.

Like on Friday night at Lusail, where he was the complete opposite of the driver we once knew. With a Ferrari clearly not to his liking for some time. He was knocked out in the Q1 stanza of Sprint Race qualifying. The 40-year-old Englishman was only good for P18, and it was a glaring fail under a spotlight shining bright over the desert circuit.

The racing gods and the stars aligned for a sad ending to what has really been an unbelievable career in Formula 1. Sure, Lewis has not retired, but today he all but threw in the towel.

Consider this. One shot left to get out of Q1 in Qatar tonight for the youngest kid on the grid, rookie teenager Kimi Antonelli, who took over from Ferrari-bound Hamilton at Mercedes, was himself threatened with a Q1 exit. The oldest driver on the grid, and the only driver left of that golden generation, 44-year-old Fernando Alonso, was also on the brink. All three of them are on crucial do-or-die final laps in the closing stages of the session.

What followed was huge, hugely telling to me. Hamilton, the greatest qualifier in the sport’s history with 104 pole position starts, could not make that Ferrari go fast enough. His effort was four-tenths shy of Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, who was P13 when the session ended.

In stark contrast, two drivers on either spectrum of a Formula 1 career, Alonso and Antonelli, both dug deep, found extra in themselves and their cars when it mattered and popped themselves into Q2. Both then progressed to Q3, ending P4 and P6 respectively. Leclerc salvaged a sliver of pride for Ferrari by at least making it into Q3, and will start from P9 on Saturday.

Worth mentioning, incredibly young Antonelli, in what is becoming a trademark of his, also managed to scrape into Q2 with a last gasp effort. The kid drove with heart and soul and a massive future. Alonso, with a far shorter future in Formula 1 ahead of him, was undeterred and, as usual, feisty and combative with a half-decent car at his disposal. The Spanish veteran too blitzed around the Qatar circuit to pop it into Q2.

Hamilton's much-heralded arrival at Ferrari under Fred Vasseur was expected to instantly deliver results. But the Scuderia failed with their side of the bargain by producing a feeble weapon as a welcome for the seven-time F1 world champ. The SF-25 is so beastly to drive for even Leclerc, who after years of taking the blame finally called it out last week in Las Vegas. The car is sh!t, simple!

I would like to say that my heart is broken for the plight of our Lewis, but it is not really. My heart broke more for him last year on too many occasions when he was absolutely roundly beaten by George Russell. I guessed that cushioned the blow for this uber-LH44 fan, to what is becoming of him on track.

In the end, coming to Ferrari, Hamilton had one first priority: to beat Charles Leclerc. Own him, then own the team. Lewis never really has. After the inevitable hype of his arrival at Ferrari died down, the win at the Chinese Grand Prix Sprint Race, which only flattered to deceive, it has been a slide downhill as he comes to terms with life at Maranello.

In closing, I found it telling and strange to be honest, that while Kimi and Fernando were out on track giving heart and soul for places in the top ten on the grid, this is what Hamilton had to say when asked how tricky the car was to drive: "Same as always." And when pressed for more, he smiled and dodged the question: "The weather's nice."

Yes, come rain or shine, Lewis will be in the car for next weekend's season finale Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, before going on a break he admits can't come soon enough for him. I am also pretty sure he will pitch up to testing of the new generation Formula 1 cars next year.

However, if he finds the 2026 car to be another SF-25, I reckon he will walk away from Ferrari and motorsport. Hence, tonight, we saw the beginning of the end for Lewis Hamilton in Formula 1.