Max Verstappen, Formula One's youngest ever winner, came crashing back down to earth on Saturday a fortnight after his thrilling Spanish Grand Prix victory.
The 18-year-old Dutchman will start from the back of the grid for Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix after smashing into the wall in qualifying.
Verstappen clipped the barrier on the exit of the high-speed swimming pool complex, subsequently breaking his right front suspension and thudding into the Armco.
While the Dutchman emerged from his cockpit unscathed, his failure to post a competitive lap means he is poised to start last but one in Sunday's blue-riband event. Indeed, after sustaining significant damage to his Red Bull, he could yet be forced to start from the pit lane.
"I was already down to earth, but these things happen, especially in Monaco," Verstappen, who also crashed in practice earlier on Saturday, said.
"If you count the crashes over the last few years, there have been quite a few, and unfortunately it happens to me in qualifying after a win in Barcelona.
"It was very unexpected from my side. Of course, it is not ideal, but I also try to stay out of the barrier and I didn't do it on purpose."
While Verstappen failed to progress beyond the opening phase of qualifying, his Red Bull team-mate Daniel Ricciardo secured the team's first pole position in more than two years with an emphatic lap. And Verstappen believes his crash cost him a chance of a top-four grid slot.
He added: "You don't want that to happen, especially in Q1 when you have a car that is comfortably top four. It is not what you want.
"It was pretty simple. I turned in slightly too early, touched the inside barrier and broke the track rods. I couldn't steer any more so I went straight into the barrier."
With showers forecast for Sunday's race, Verstappen added: "Apparently there is some rain expected tomorrow, so that would be nice.
"Definitely we can get past some cars, that's for sure. The car is really good and hopefully we can take advantage of that."
Source: PA
