Daniel Ricciardo's 2017 has begun in disappointing fashion after he crashed out of his home Australian GP qualifying session.
The Red Bull driver spun off the circuit at Turn 14 on his first flying lap in the decisive Q3 qualifying segment, hitting the tyre barriers and doing significant damage to his RB13 car.
Ricciardo, who was heard apologising to the team over the radio, was unharmed. Without a time in the final session, he qualified 10th as a result.
Qualifying report: Hamilton ahead of Vettel
"I'm physically OK but emotionally a bit disappointed," he told Sky Sports F1. "At least [the crash] didn't happen in Q1
"We made a big step forwards in Q2 but the lap in Q3 was a bit messy and the turn caught me out."
With the rear of the RB13 sustaining major damage, it remains to be seen whether the Australian's disappointing grid position will be compounded by a five-place grid penalty for a gearbox change on Sunday morning.
Team boss Christian Horner was hopeful that would not prove the case.
When is Sunday's race on Sky F1?
"I don't know if will need gearbox change, crash structures are pretty good these days but we'll have to inspect it.
"[Ricciardo was] just pushing a bit too hard in that corner.
"He's stepping it up a gear for qualifying and it's just got away. Once you're out on the dust there's only one way it's going."
Team-mate Max Verstappen qualified fifth as Red Bull trailed chief rivals Mercedes and Ferrari by a larger-than-anticipated margin on the timesheet.
Watch the 2017 F1 season on Sky Sports F1 - and in Ultra HD for the first time! Get Sky F1 for the new season!