Valtteri Bottas described his Turkish Grand Prix as a “disaster” as he relinquished any hopes of the 2020 world title by spinning on six separate occasions.
Bottas spun at Turn 1 in order to avoid the rotating Esteban Ocon, who had been touched by Daniel Ricciardo, and he then collided with Ocon later around the lap at Turn 9.
Bottas then went on to have further spins at Turn 12, Turn 5 and then two through the exit of Turn 1/2 later on in the race.
He eventually finished down in a lapped 14th place.
It ended Bottas’ slim title ambitions as Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton clinched the 2020 championship with victory.
“It was a disaster of a race for me,” said Bottas. “Obviously I had the spin in the first corner, as I was avoiding one of the Renault that had already spun, and then I had a collision in Turn 9.
“The car wasn’t right after that, I could feel the steering was pointing to the left when I was on a straight line and then the car was behaving different in left side and right side corners.
“I think all those moments I had, it wasn’t like it should be. It was a messy race, a disastrous race.
“I was pushing as hard as I could, because there was nothing to lose for me today, so when I dropped back I was still pushing as hard as I could.
“I made mistakes, and, for sure, with the damage, it all made it quite tricky, it could be the most difficult race I’ve ever had in Formula 1, and the result as well.”
Bottas accepted he was overly ambitious in trying to recover positions in the wake of his first spin.
“I was catching pretty quickly on the train in front of me,” said Bottas.
“By the time we came into Turn 8 I was already the other cars and I saw I could make a move into Turn 9, but I locked up as there was more water on the inside of Turn 9, because, obviously, visibility was pretty poor.
“I was pretty eager, probably a bit too much, locked up and hit one of the Renaults. That was it.”
