Valtteri Bottas has labelled his 2018 campaign as the “worst💙 season” of his Formula 1 career based on his r🐷esults.

Bottas has failed to win so far in his second year with Mercedes and is looking ෴to avoid becoming the first driver not to score a grand prix victory for the team since 🏅Michael Schumacher in 2012 at this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The Finn had a difficult first campaig𒊎n in an uncompetitive Williams during 2013, before the team’s fortunes improved in the early phase of the V6 hybrid era. A switch to Mercedes followed in 2017, with Bottas picking up four pole positions and three race wins in his maiden seas♎on with the German manufacturer.

When asked if he f🅰elt 2018 had been his most difficult year to date, Bottas replied: “Yes, I thi﷽nk it is.

“For sure the first season was tough but you cannot compare because with Williams, in 2013, we were 🥃fighting at the back but I felt that I did the most that I could do.

“Then the few seasons afterwဣards wer🙈e definitively better than this one.

✃“Last year was quite different from this year: it was my first year with the team, the first year alongside Lewis and I remember this time last year I was disapp🦋ointed that I hadn’t met my targets.

“But now, when I look back, at least I had won some races, got some poles. Now, at this point, at this very moment, I’m even more disappointed, for sure. Yes, this has🍃 been my worst season, so far.”

Bottas believes he has performed at a higher level compared to 2017 but simply has not had the results to show for it due to the misfortune he suffered e🐓arly on in the season, most notably suffering a puncture while leading in Baku w🌳ith three laps to go. 

“I think there’s been quite a few good race🧸☂s but things just haven’t gone my way,” he explained.

“I would say that, in general, I’v🎉e been unlucky this year, but there’s more than that. I know for a fact that I’ve performed better compared to last year, that’s the only thi💧ng that matters after a season like this.

“You just have to learn and try to forget, but this is definitively a season that will make me a tougher person and driver for the 🐻future.”