Jolyon Palmer was cruelly denied a likely maiden points finish during today's (Saturday) GP2 Feature Race in Monza after becoming the innocent victim in an on track collision.

In scorching temperatures, the 20-year-old Brit began the 30-lap race in P11 after demonstrating blistering pace during yesterday's qualifying session to record his best ever result.

As the lights went out, Jolyon, who lined up ahead of his Arden team-mate Josef Kral on row six, made a solid start and was running P12 by the end of the opening lap - just 0.8s off the leaders and on course for a potential points finish.

Then on lap two, Scuderia's Michael Herck, who had earlier been battling with Jolyon, outbroke himself going into the chicane, driving into both Max Chilton and Kral. This sent Kral into a spin, blocking the following car of Jolyon as he entered the second part of the chicane and leaving him nowhere to go - cruelly cutting short a race that had promised so much.

Speaking afterwards a frustrated Jolyon said: "I had a reasonable start but lost one position to Josef who had a great start. Then Herck cut the first corner and passed me, I tried to pass him back and he ran me off the road twice. I finally passed him at the Parabolica on lap one. He drove back passed me on the straight and broke stupidly late and smashed into a few cars at the first corner. I made the corner but then had nowhere to go at Turn 2 as Kral was broadside across the track and rolled backwards. I have no doubt a points finish was lost."

Looking ahead to Sunday's race Jolyon added: "Starting tomorrow's race second-to-last will be tough. Herck is behind me unfortunately so anything could happen. Hopefully I can make a lot of places though as I think we have some good pace."

Luca Filippi went on to win the Feature Race at the 5.793km Italian circuit with Charles Pic finishing second and 2011 GP2 champion Romain Grosjean rounding off the final podium spot. Meanwhile, Herck was later handed a ten place grid penalty for Sunday's Sprint Race for causing the collision as well as a reprimand.

Jolyon returns tomorrow morning (Sunday) at 10:30 (local time) for the 21-lap Sprint Race with full coverage on his official website and Facebook page.

Monza, GP2 Feature Race results:

1. L Filippi, Scuderia, 30 laps
2. C Pic, Addax, +5.6s
3. R Grosjean, DAMS, +6.2s
4. S Bird, iSport, +9.9s
5. A Carroll, Super Nova, +14.9s
6. C Vietoris, Racing, +16.7s
7. F Leimer, Rapax, +18.0s
8. J Bianchi, ART, +22.7s
9. E Gutierrez, ART, +28.4s
DNF. J Palmer, Arden, +29 laps