Lewis Hamilton admitted his season is in tatters ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix.

After a string of breakdowns Brit Hamilton predicted he will probably start TWO of the remaining 13 races LAST on the grid, because of penalties he has had to take for replacement parts.

The world champion gave a gloomy forecast for his title defence as he prepared for a race he is desperate to win here on Sunday to catapult him into a sell-out British Grand Prix a week later.

The penalties mean double trouble as Hamilton battles to make up a 24 point deficit on title rival and Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg.

The Brit expects to begin two of the season's final 13 Grands Prix right at the back of the grid as he will be penalised for using replacement parts.

Hamilton reflected on why he's having more problems than SEVEN other Mercedes-powered drivers.

Lewis Hamilton admitted his season is in tatters ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix,writes Byron Young in Spielberg.

After a string of breakdowns Brit Hamilton predicted he will probably start TWO of the remaining 13 races LAST on the grid, because of penalties he has had to take for replacement parts.

The world champion gave a gloomy forecast for his title defence as he prepared for a race he is desperate to win here on Sunday to catapult him into a sell-out British Grand Prix a week later.

The penalties mean double trouble as Hamilton battles to make up a 24 point deficit on title rival and Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg .

 “It’s not easy when you see there are eight Mercedes drivers and everyone else is on the normal plan and their second engine and still has four left I have one,” he said.

“It doesn’t feel great, but there’s nothing I can do about it. Talking about it is not going to make any difference. It is what it is.

“I don’t fully understand why it’s happened, but I hope Mercedes grows from it and learns from my problems for the other drivers.

“The last couple of years, reliability has been quite good. Problems happen, we are pushing cars to the limit. This year it’s been different and I don’t have an answer why its happened.

“I am starting with my last engine [parts] this weekend and will have at least one race where I will start dead last — and most likely two. “

Mystifyingly, Hamilton’s problems have been worse not only than Rosberg's but SIX other drivers who are also using the dominating Mercedes power-plant.

“The worst thing is I am the only Mercedes driver to have that,” he added. “For sure it’s difficult for the team and especially since we are THE Mercedes team and if there are 40 engines you would expect us to have the best of the 40."