Fernando Alonso was unhappy with his result in qualifying for the European Grand Prix at Valencia, admitting he expected more from his Renault.
"At the beginning it seemed that we could be third or fourth and then after Q1 we realized that we were not going to be as competitive as we thought," said the local hero, who will start his home race from eighth place despite having topped the times in Friday's practice.
"Of course, I'm not happy with eighth but since we had the same position in Q2 it seems that this was the limit of the car today.
"I'm disappointed for all the fans here for whom I would have liked a better grid position, but I'll do my best tomorrow in the race."
Rookie team-mate Romain Grosjean put on a solid performance in his first qualifying session, the Frenchman making it to Q2 comfortably.
Grosjean, who will start from 14th place, said he was happy with his showing.
"I am pleased to have made it into Q2 for my first qualifying session, especially as that was the objective I set myself yesterday," he said. "I want to thank the whole team who have been working with me and Fernando for all his helpful advice.
"To be fighting with the best drivers in the world is an incredible feeling and I'm really looking forward to starting my first Grand Prix tomorrow. I will give my maximum to get the best result possible from the race."