WORLD champion Lewis Hamilton has admitted his British Grand Prix hopes are over after the worst qualifying performance of his F1 career. The 24-year-old Herts-born driver could only post the 19th fastest time in today s first phase of qualifying at Silve

WORLD champion Lewis Hamilton has admitted his British Grand Prix hopes are over after the worst qualifying performance of his F1 career.

The 24-year-old Herts-born driver could only post the 19th fastest time in today's first phase of qualifying at Silverstone.

That means he will start Sunday's race from the back row of the grid, with only Toro Rosso's Sebastien Buemi behind him.

"The race is over," said Vodafone McLaren Mercedes man Hamilton.

"But we'll keep fighting and hopefully put on a good show for the fans."

Hamilton was on a hot lap in the closing seconds of Q1 when Adrian Sutil shot off the track at Becketts and crashed his Force India into the tyre wall.

The red flags came out and Hamilton was unable to complete his flying lap.

"I did the best I could. I was pushing as hard as I could. We were just dead slow," said Hamilton.

"I was pushing on that last lap, but it was nothing special, it was slow."

Hamilton won the British Grand Prix last year with one of the sport's greatest wet weather drives in history.

Now he's among the also-rans.