"We thought we were quick enough, we thought the time was enough, but it turned out not so good," the German told reporters after failing to make it through the first phase and qualifying 16th.
The failure was a rare one in what has been a strong first season at Maranello for the four times world champion, who won his first world title in Abu Dhabi in 2010, since leaving Red Bull.
Vettel has won three races, the only non-Mercedes driver to stand on top of the podium this year, and will finish third overall.
The German is also the only driver outside the dominant champions this season to take a pole position, doing so in Singapore but a repeat was not to be on a circuit that has been good to him in the past.
"I should have done a quicker lap and we could have made it but in that moment we thought it was enough but it wasn't - obviously quite costly," said Vettel, a three times winner in Abu Dhabi.
"But we know what happened and we have to start the race from further back. That is the challenge now."
"We try every weekend to do our best and this weekend we did not get it right. It is a small mistake with a big consequence. There are a lot of cars ahead of us that should not be ahead of us, but it is up to us to turn it around."
Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen, who qualified third on Saturday, was a winner in Abu Dhabi with Lotus in 2012. Vettel started in the pit lane in that race and still finished third.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Justin Palmer)
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