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…
Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter
Nico Hulkenberg says Sauber CEO Andreas Seidl was the “driving factor” behind his decision to…
Honda says it hopes to continue supporting its protégé Yuki Tsunoda despite its departure from…
The news of Adrian Newey's departure from Red Bull has cast a shadow of uncertainty…
On this day in 1976, Tyrrell's radical six-wheel Tyrrell P34 made its race debut at…
A significant development has emerged in the ongoing saga surrounding Andretti Global's bid to enter…
Celebrating Ferrari's 70-year journey in North America at this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc…