Bottas: Fighting for the title was my goal but I failed

At that point Lewis Hamilton had only won thrice. However since Bottas' victory in Austria in early July, the Finn's challenge fizzled out and he has not won a race since while his teammate racked up six victories.

Something went awry with Bottas' campaign and he pinpointed the problem in an interview with Racer, "I need more consistency. It was a bit up and down this season."

"There were some really good moments, like it started steadily and then it was really good and then just before the August break, I think the last four races, I scored more points than Sebastian and Lewis, so it was really good again. And then my performance kind of dipped for different reasons."

Driving the best car on the grid and part of the Mercedes juggernaut, that has been a dominant force in the sport for the past three years, there is simply nowhere for Bottas to hide and he knows it.

"I need to be a more consistent," repeated the 28 year old. "More complete driver and understand the car better and be better with setting up the car, but all of those things I've learned massively from this year, so that's why I think it's possible."

With a host of young drivers in the Mercedes junior programme ready and willing to be promoted to the most coveted seat in the sport, pressure is on Bottas to deliver. His plight exacerbated by the fact that the Silver Arrows management have only handed him a one year contract beyond 2017. The pressure is on for him to raise his game substantially next season.

Among the lows of the season for Bottas, there have also been highs, "For sure it has been really interesting and exciting and definitely created memories that I will always remember – memories like my first win and my first pole."

For most of the season, particularly in the latter half when Hamilton found another gear and raised the bar, Bottas has struggled to match the pace of his teammate. The gap anything from a quarter second to half a second per lap in most sessions.

These are facts that do not escape him, "Performance-wise, I can't be too happy because for the season I set myself a goal to fight for the championship and to win the championship. That was my goal. But I failed. That is disappointing to me, definitely."

"But on the other hand, one of the positives was that I learned massively and I really think next year I can be a lot better and more complete driver and quicker. That's why I'm really looking forward to next year," added Bottas who lies third in the championship and needing to score 23 more points than Sebastian Vettel to make it a one-two for Mercedes in the drivers' championship.

Team chief Toto Wolff aptly summed up the difference between his two drivers this season, "I think Lewis the whole year has been rock and roll, and Valtteri has recovered slowly but still needs the tick of a killer."