For the fifth time in six races in 2016, Jolyon Palmer failed to make it through to the second phase of qualifying, with the Briton ending up eighteenth on the grid for this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix.
The Renault Sport F1 driver has had a torrid weekend so far in the Principality, with a practice crash on Thursday and again on Saturday morning, with Palmer missing out on making it into Q2 by 0.333 seconds, with team-mate Kevin Magnussen taking that last place in the second session.
Much like his compatriot Jenson Button, Palmer is hoping the weather levels the playing field and he is able to move forward, with the 2014 GP2 Series champion still seeking his first points of his Formula 1 career.
“It was a tough session but ultimately the position is around where we’re accustomed being,” revealed Palmer. “It’s great to drive here and I was really hoping to get through to Q2 but we just didn’t have the pace.
“It’s a long race so I’m hoping for some big storms to help mix the field up a bit so we can drive through and get some points. Monaco is certainly difficult to overtake in a straight-forward race.”