Points a tall order for Hamilton after qualifying disaster

Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton failed to secure a spot in the top-10 in qualifying for the first time since Monza 2013.

The Brit rued a loose and ill-handling car which appeared to always be on the verge of slipping away from him.

He had a moment during the session when he came close to hitting the barrier at Massenet, shaking his hand in the cockpit in a 'phew' gesture after saving himself from a crash.

Mercedes have struggled since proceedings got underway in the Monte-Carlo on Thursday. Hamilton was hopeful of correcting his car's set-up, but to no avail unfortunately.

Late to get up to speed in Q2, he set out for a last gasp effort only to be ruined by Stoffel Vandoorne's crash at the Swimming pool complex. There and then, Hamilton's day was over.

"I mean that's pretty much the weekend done," he lamented.

"Tomorrow I'll just be driving around in whatever position outside of the top ten. I'll try and get up as high as I can but it's hard to overtake here as you know.

"It's going to be a nice Sunday drive tomorrow I imagine."

Worryingly, Hamilton was at a loss to explain exactly why he has suddenly found himself with an underperforming car. he wasn't even sure he could made the Q1 cut without Vandoorne's mishap.

"I think I would have struggled," he admitted.

"That lap may have just got me into the top 10, and then I probably would have struggled to be in the top five with the pace that I had, with whatever issue I was having in the car.

"But it's great to see Valtteri was able to extract the performance of the car, it shows we're not terrible here. We'll just have to figure out why I couldn't be up there with him."

"I'm not really sure [what happened]. I've not spoken to the guys so I can't really pinpoint it at the moment. But it's an odd feeling, that's for sure."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.