Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali was left lamenting an unacceptable qualifying performance as the team's 800th grand prix celebrations started in abysmal fashion.
Felipe Massa, three-times winner of the race from 2006 to 2008, and team-mate Fernando Alonso will start from a lowly eighth and 12th on the grid for tomorrow's Turkish Grand Prix.
Alonso's failure to make the top 10 in particular only adds fuel to the fire for his critics, who have been vocal in their condemnation of his mistakes recently.
Domenicali said: "These are certainly not the positions from which we would have liked to start the 800th grand prix in the history of the Scuderia.
"Felipe did the maximum, using all the potential available from his car and the tyres.
"Fernando did not have a perfect Q2 and missed the cut. When the gaps are so close, it takes very little to be in or out.
"But we have to be honest and admit our performance did not live up to our expectations. We have to react immediately, starting from tomorrow's race, when we will try to bring home as many points as possible.
"Then we must accelerate the car's development to be competitive at every type of circuit."
Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo was forced to come out in support of double world champion Alonso this week, insisting he had no regrets about signing the 28-year-old Spaniard.
Since starting his Ferrari career in fine style with a win in the opening race in Bahrain, Alonso's performances have not exactly gone to plan.
And from 12th on the grid it is highly likely he will lose ground in the championship to Red Bull duo Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel, who he currently trails by three points.
A far from happy Alonso said: "I don't know what happened. I didn't think we were so slow.
"But nothing strange happened. Twelfth place is what we deserve from what we have seen. I did not have enough speed.
"When there are nine drivers within half a second, as happened in Q2, it takes an instant to be either fourth or 12th and in my case it was the latter.
"I don't think I could have done better. I did practically the same time three times. Tomorrow will be tough and we will be racing defensively, but we will try and get the best result possible."