HUNGARORING -- Jolyon Palmer says FP2 was more like rallycross than Formula One before his crash into the barriers ahead, something he put down to the work done to fix his Renault after a costly brush with the kerbs in Friday's morning session.
Palmer is under pressure at Renault, with zero points from the opening ten races and Robert Kubica's test appearance next week putting his future with the team in doubt. The Englishman has had the majority of the bad luck this season and was hoping for a clean weekend after his car broke down as he made his way to the grid for his home race at Silverstone.
He was running 10th in FP1 when he ran slightly wide at Turn 4, with the subsequent contact tearing the front wing from his RS17. The car was fixed in time for FP2 but Palmer was clearly not happy with the balance and late on he lost control of the car at the final corner, sliding off the circuit and into the wall.
Asked to explain the second incident, Palmer said: "Something wasn't working since the beginning of the session, we don't know what still. It was looking to do that many times and we couldn't see what, but it just like rallycross out there.
"In the end... honestly, it felt like something broke, I think they are looking at it at the moment because it just snapped and I had zero chance to catch it."
Palmer thinks the poor balance of his car was a result of the work done to fix the car between sessions.
"I think it's a shame because I was going very well. We still finished 10th in FP1. The balance was good, I was very happy with the car. I think the penalty I had in FP2 comes with a little bit of the damage I had in FP1.
"The car been put together in a different spec and folded back on, and tried to balance it with a bit of an unknown. We don't really know what was the issue at the moment, but we could clearly see that there's a problem with the rear. That I'm sure came from the run wide in FP1."
Palmer's FP1 moment was at the same place he spun during the closing stages of last year's race, which at the time cost him a maiden point. Last year the FIA installed double kerbs at that corner in an attempt to implement an electronic detection technology system which deleted times for drivers who put all four wheels off the track, though that has been scrapped this year.
Having run only marginally wide in FP1, Palmer thinks the damage his car sustained suggests kerbs are too aggressive.
"It's when it drops onto the concrete. To be honest... I won't do it again! It's a big punishment in the race if you do it. For me I had to retire the car. I think it's too severe to be honest. You might as well have a wall there.
"You go wide and then try to come back on again, and then you're going to destroy the car. I think it's too severe. For a solution like that, we had the timing loop, and that was a nightmare last year. I think it's the right direction but I think it's too severe."
The initial accident meant Renault took the upgraded floor off Palmer's car for FP2 due to damage, though the team hopes it will be able to revert back to it in time for FP3 on Saturday morning.