BREAKING:Lewis Hamilton suffers shock early qualifying exit….

BREAKING:Lewis Hamilton suffers shock early qualifying exit after costly…Read more

Lewis Hamilton endured a disappointing qualifying session at the Miami Grand Prix, exiting in Q1 after a costly mistake on his final flying lap. The seven-time world champion, who had shown promise in practice, failed to make the cut and will start near the back of the grid for Sunday’s race.

Hamilton locked up into Turn 17 during his final run, compromising his exit speed and ultimately missing the cutoff by just a few tenths. It marks one of the rare early qualifying exits for the British driver, who is still adapting to the Ferrari SF-25 in his debut season with the team.

“I’m gutted,” Hamilton said afterward. “The pace was there earlier in the weekend, but I just didn’t put it together when it mattered. That one mistake cost us big.”

Ferrari’s struggles with tire warm-up and setup adjustments were also evident, with teammate Charles Leclerc barely scraping into Q2. The setback adds pressure on Hamilton, who has yet to find his rhythm since making the high-profile switch from Mercedes.

With overtaking difficult on Miami’s tight layout, Hamilton faces a tough challenge climbing through the field — though fans know never to count him out.