It there was a drivers' standings based on bad luck, Valtteri Bottas would be leading by a country mile such has been the Mercedes driver's bad fortune this season.
In Baku, the Finn looked like he was heading to a rewarding victory when a puncture robbed him of what should have rightfully been his fourth career win in F1.
A strong contender at Paul Ricard ten days, Bottas' potential chances of success vanished on the opening when he was hit by a clumsy Sebastian Vettel.
Pole position at the Red Bull Ring on Saturday was perceived as a good omen, perhaps the promise of a turnaround. Alas, his hardship persisted when a hydraulics issue on his usually ultra-reliable W09 spelt another disaster and increased his deficit in the title fight to an almost impossible level to pull back from.
"The luck I'm having this year feels like a bit of a bad joke at the moment,'' Bottas said.
"My start was not ideal. I had quite a bit of wheelspin and there was less grip than we expected, so I dropped a few places.
"Going into Turn 3, I could recover two places and was back in second place. After that the car felt strong, we were running well, but then I suddenly experienced a loss of hydraulic pressure," he added.
"There was nothing I could have done to prevent the DNF. I guess it was just not meant to be today - but one day it will be."
Count on it Valtteri…
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