Jolyon Palmer has been left saddened by a Monaco Grand Prix that lasted only a few metres in green flag conditions as he crashed out on the racing start.
When the Safety Car came into the pits at the end of lap seven, and the drivers began their first racing lap as they crossed the line, Palmer’s car veered left on the straight – dragging across the barriers – and his race ended at the first corner.
The Renault driver was the first of seven retirements in the race, and this is his first retirement in Formula One having previously finished every race he had started.
“The traction was appalling after the safety car and I got caught out,” Palmer said.
“I had wheelspin in fifth gear on the white line that crosses the track. There was nothing I could do – I was just a passenger and went straight away into the wall.
“It’s so difficult as we know that the white lines are slippery but they are everywhere. I’m disappointed as I love this track and it’s been good for me in the past.”
He has won two races at the circuit in the past in GP2, but it was a tough weekend for Palmer having collided with the barriers at Tabac in the first practice session, spun and lightly touched the barriers through the Swimming Pool section in the third practice session and not being able to join his team-mate Kevin Magnussen in Q2 in qualifying.
“But I’m now looking forward to Canada and putting this weekend behind me. Monaco hasn’t been good to me this year so we need to move on to the next race and look for a better weekend.”
This result puts the Briton down to 19th place in the Drivers’ Championship. Renault remain in ninth place in the Constructors’ Championship with only six points so far courtesy of Magnussen’s seventh place finish in Russia.
