Valtteri Bottas says he is currently in the “most difficult time” of his career, after a run of races in which he has struggled for pace, dropping away from the title fight.
Bottas entered the summer break as the sport’s in-form driver, with five straight podiums, but has been out-qualified by over half a second by team-mate Lewis Hamilton at each event since.
The Finn finished a lowly fifth in Malaysia, over 40 seconds behind the second-placed Briton, and is now 59 points adrift of his team-mate with just five events left in 2017.
“Being honest it may be the most difficult time of my career so far, in terms of how I feels every time I get in the car," said Bottas. "I just want to perform, to be on a good level, but I haven't been doing this for some time for various reasons.
“I definitely want to turn it around quickly. If I keep doing races like this then that's no good for anyone.
“The team needs the points, I need the points, and I want the points. I want to do much better than this.
“I want to turn it around quickly and do whatever we need to do it. But there are still many question marks.
“After such a bad run of races just pure confidence in the car and trusting your own skills and being 100 per cent comfortable that makes a massive difference. This weekend I haven't been 100 per cent comfortable.
“It's never a good thing when you jump in the car and you don't feel 100 per cent secure and if you don't know by 100 per cent that you can be the absolute quickest that is never good.”
Bottas conceded that he has to start enjoying driving again if he is to return to his highest level.
“You need to get that back and need to get that feeling of enjoying the driving and letting yourself a bit more loose,” he said.
“But it comes from understanding all those fine details when you are struggling sometimes.
“This sport is so sensitive from the mental state as a driver maybe it sounds funny but it is a very, very sensitive sport mentally and you need to be absolutely on it if you want to be at your best."
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