Max Verstappen will start the Monaco Grand Prix from the back of the grid after a crash in final practice meant he was unable to participate in qualifying.
With Red Bull showing strong pace all weekend Verstappen looked set to be a contender for a first Formula One pole position on Saturday. However, in the closing stages of FP3 he made a mistake, clipping a barrier on the inside of the Swimming Pool chicane, breaking the front suspension of his car and sending it over a kerb and into the barriers.
The damage left Red Bull with an extensive repair job ahead of qualifying, including fitting the car with a new gearbox. That change left Verstappen facing a five-place grid penalty from wherever he qualified.
However, that turned out to be the least of his worries, as the team was unable to fix the car in time for Q1, meaning he failed to set a time. That will see him start the race from 20th position. Making matters worse was that Verstappen had to then watch teammate Daniel Ricciardo convert Red Bull's dominant pace into pole position.
Starting at the back of the grid is never ideal, but Monaco is the most difficult circuit for overtaking on the F1 calendar. Although his Red Bull has the pace to progress through the field through pit stop strategy, he faces the prospect of a frustrating afternoon staring at the back end of slower cars.
After the crash, the Dutchman was seen in animated conversation with Red Bull's motor racing advisor Helmut Marko, the man who oversees its driver programme. Verstappen's form has been under the microscope this season after an erratic start, with the Dutchman at the centre of a string of incidents. He had scored his first podium of the year at the previous race, the Spanish Grand Prix.