Jolyon Palmer labelled Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix a "disaster" after a late spin denied the British rookie the first point of his Formula One career.
Palmer, 25, who faces an uncertain future in the sport beyond this season, claimed earlier this week that Sunday's race would represent his best chance of finishing inside the top 10.
And after turning in the best drive of his formative grand prix career, the former GP2 champion appeared on course to do exactly that.
But with just 21 laps remaining, the Renault driver spun at turn four to fall three places in the order before crossing the line in 12th.
"I'm gutted because it was there, and obviously it's a disaster," Palmer said.
"It was the best drive of my career but then I spun and we didn't get any points. It should have been the first points of my F1 career. Everything was perfect."
Palmer, courtesy of an aggressive strategy and a quick pit stop by his Renault team, which saw him leapfrog Force India's Nico Hulkenberg, was 10th and on course to score at least one point before his late mistake.
"It was completely in my grasp," a gloomy Palmer added. "We did a good strategy, a good pit stop, and the pace was good. I felt great in the car. But then I just lost it. I don't know why.
"I wasn't exactly hanging everything out. I was looking after the tyres with Hulkenberg behind, but then for some reason I lost the car with a massive snap. I need to look at it now."
Meanwhile Jenson Button, the 2009 world champion, also endured an arduous afternoon. Button started in eighth, but fell to the back of the pack following a hydraulic issue.
Button was advised by his McLaren team on how to resolve the problem, but following a controversial clampdown on the sport's radio rules, he was subsequently handed a drive-through penalty by the stewards.
"It's a stupid regulation," Button, who retired in the closing stages, said. "I completely understand that drivers should not be fed information that helps us drive the car.
"I'm totally with that because I think it's wrong that we're told every corner where our team-mate is quicker or slower than us.
"But when it's a safety concern with the brake pedal going to the floor, you shouldn't be penalised for stopping an accident, and that's what we did today.
"I think it's a joke really. Stopping an incident should be praised, not penalised. The sport's got a long way to go before it's good again."
Source: PA
