Championship leader Lando Norris tore himself apart after crashing during qualifying for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
The McLaren driver will start from 10th on the grid after hitting the wall at the exit of Turn 4 at Jeddah's Corniche circuit.
"I shunted so I'm not going to be proud, I'm not going to be happy. I have let myself down and let the team down," Norris told reporters after the session, branding himself a "f***ing idiot" over the team radio.
His McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri qualified second behind polesitter Max Verstappen.
Lando Norris labelled himself a 'f***ing idiot'
Reuters
Norris blamed himself for taking "silly risks" he didn't need to during the qualifying session.
"I don't know what happened. I need to look into it all. Just a mistake I guess, I was pretty comfortable and happy until then," he explained.
The British driver lost control on the exit of Turn Four, with his car sliding onto the kerb at Turn Five before hitting the wall.
"It has made my life and everyone in the team's much harder because everyone has a big job to try and fix everything," Norris added.
Norris admitted he faces a significant challenge to recover in Sunday's race.
"I don't think it's going to be an easy one because I don't think it's very easy to overtake around here," he said.
The championship leader was realistic about his prospects, stating that getting close to the frontrunners was "not very realistic".
"It's almost impossible to overtake around here, so I'm not expecting anything magical," Norris added.
He suggested a top-five or six finish would be a satisfactory result given the circumstances.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown offered a more optimistic outlook for Norris's race prospects.
Lando Norris suffered a crash on Turn 4
Reuters
"It will probably be a one-stop race, but with the high likelihood of safety cars around here," he told Sky Sports television.
Brown added: "So just focus on the race, do the best we can, and see if we can get him further up the grid. He'll certainly be faster than he qualified."
The Jeddah circuit's reputation for incidents could provide Norris with strategic opportunities to make up positions.
Despite the setback, McLaren remains in a strong position in the Formula One standings.
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Lando Norris was furious with his own performance
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The team leads the constructors' championship after securing three wins in four races this season.
Norris currently holds a three-point advantage over teammate Piastri in the drivers' standings.
Verstappen, who secured pole position for Sunday's race, sits eight points behind Norris in the championship.
The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix presents Norris with an opportunity for redemption as he looks to maintain his championship lead.
