Lando Norris will start the Azerbaijan Grand Prix from 17th place after a yellow flag in qualifying delivered a significant blow to his title hopes.
The McLaren driver was knocked out in the first session of qualifying (Q1) after coming across a yellow flag on his second flying lap and aborting his lap.
The yellow flag, which requires drivers to slow down when they approach it, was caused by Esteban Ocon moving slowly on the track after clipping the wall.
Because he was unable to complete his qualifying lap, Norris had to rely on his first attempt in Q1, which was only good enough for 17th fastest.
"Just everyone did their second laps, and I didn't," Norris told Sky Sports after the session. "Just unlucky, that's all. It was Ocon on the left. I had to lift."
Asked if he could make progress in the race, Norris said: "I'm gonna have to hope so, aren't I? It is what it is. Long race ahead. We have some good tires in the bank.
"Yeah, just try to go forward ... That's what tonight's for. I'm still hopeful we can get a good result. I think the car is quick. The lap I was on, I would have easily gone second. But nothing I can do."
The bottom five drivers get knocked out of qualifying in Q1 and therefore Norris did not progress to the Q2 or Q3 to fight for the upper positions on the grid.
Norris is 62 points behind Max Verstappen in the drivers' championship after clawing back 16 points from the Red Bull driver at the last two rounds.
He needs to maintain a similar advantage over Verstappen at the remaining eight rounds in order to overhaul the advantage of his title rival, but starting from 17th will make it very difficult for him to do so this weekend in Azerbaijan.
The Q1 elimination was Norris' first of the season and his first since last year's Las Vegas Grand Prix.