Valtteri Bottas believes his failure to win a race in 2018 makes this his "worst season" since joining the Formula 1 grid.

The Finn has been the victim of bad luck and having to play the team game for much of the year, notably losing a win to a puncture in Baku and giving up another to teammate Lewis Hamilton in Sochi.

Bottas does have a final chance for victory this weekend in Abu Dhabi, the site of his last win 12 months ago, but in reflection, the 29-year-old concedes it won't make up for the other disappointments.

“Last year was quite different to this year. It was my first year with the team, the first year alongside Lewis [Hamilton]," he told RaceFans.

“I remember this time last year I was disappointed, I didn’t meet my targets but now when I look back, at least then I won a few races. Some hopes.

"Now at this point at this very same point I’m even more disappointed, for sure. Yeah, I think this is the worst season so far.

"You can’t compare [to other years] because with Williams in ’13 we were fighting at the back. I felt that during my first year in F1 I can’t get my goals [for a] few seasons. Then a few seasons after were better than this one."

Despite his evaluation, Bottas does think he has improved as a driver even if results don't show it.

“I think there have been some very odd races,” he stated. “Just things haven’t gone my way. I’ve been quite unlucky in general this year. I don’t think there’s more than that.

“I know the fact that I performed better than last year. In the end that’s the only thing that matters after a season like this, one to learn from, one to kind of also forget but one that definitely will make me a tougher driver and person in the future.”

Also Read:

• Mercedes: Baku loss cost Bottas a championship bid
• Hamilton doubts Bottas would want F1 win 'given' to him
• Bottas: Failure to win a race in 2018 is "amazing"

Looking to the future, however, there is continued speculation as to whether 2019 will be Bottas' last at Brackley with only a one-year deal and Esteban Ocon sat on the sidelines waiting for a promotion.

“In F1 there are all sorts of talk and it’s only natural that every driver wants to use every opportunity," he commented.

“But it’s not my job to worry about that. I have an excellent relationship with everyone on the team, including Toto [Wolff]. We hide nothing from one another.

“If next year I achieve my goals and the goals of the team, then everything will be fine. If not, the team will rightly decide that I am not performing well enough.

“That’s the way it should be in sports.”