Lewis Hamilton was caught up in a close call during practice for the Chinese Grand Prix that saw him forced to take evasive action into the pit lane.
The seven-time world champion looks set for another winless season with Mercedes starting the year far behind Red Bull once again.
They've also fallen back from Ferrari and McLaren with Hamilton failing to finish higher than seventh this season.
Mercedes' fortunes look unlikely to improve this weekend in the first Chinese Grand Prix since 2019.
Lewis Hamilton endured a difficult practice session
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It's a track where Hamilton has reigned supreme in the past having won six times at the Shanghai circuit.
But the drivers were given little time to reacquaint themselves with the track with this year's Chinese Grand Prix holding the first Sprint weekend of the year.
It led to a hectic practice session with teams trying to get as much data as possible.
The session was briefly disrupted after a bizarre grass fire that was seemingly caused by sparks from cars driving by.
That only increased the need for every driver to get out on track, which inevitably led to cars being close together.
Hamilton was trying to make his way through traffic at the end of a lap where he got past Nico Hulkenberg awkwardly before going up alongside Oscar Piastri.
But the 39-year-old locked up and drove through to the escape road and into the pit lane.
Hamilton took to team radio after the incident to explain why he went off into the pit lane.
"I just got pushed off by Lando," Hamilton said.
He was corrected by his race engineer Peter Bonnington, who replied: "I think it was Piastri."
Lewis Hamilton nearly collided with Oscar Piastri
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Hamilton failed improve much more in the final stages of practice before finishing just 18th with George Russell only slightly better in 17th.
The British racing superstar will leave Mercedes at the end of the season to join Ferrari in a move that shocked the sport.
He's faced constant questions about the move since it was announced and hit back at his critics for leaving Mercedes.
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Lewis Hamilton had to run off through the pit lane
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"I don't feel like I need my decision vindicating," Hamilton said.
"I know what was right for me, and that hasn't changed since the moment that I made the decision.
"There's not been a moment where I questioned it, and I'm not swayed by other people's comments."
