Valtteri Bottas congratulated Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton following his sixth Formula One world title, although the Finn lamented his own fortunes this season.

Bottas took the victory at the United States Grand Prix on Sunday, edging out Hamilton but failing to prevent the Briton's championship celebrations. 

Hamilton only needed a top-eight finish to guarantee a third title in a row and jumped from fifth on the grid to complete a Mercedes one-two, moving one behind Michael Schumacher in the all-time list of world championship winners.

Reflecting on his fourth race win of the campaign, Bottas was pleased to add to his podium-topping tally but generally disappointed with how the year has gone.

"We had a strong pace so I'm very, very happy about the win," he told Sky Sports.

"It's the only thing I could really focus on and do this weekend to exert some pressure, but it was not enough and Lewis got the title.

"I wasn't quite sure which strategy was going to be the better one but luckily my pace was good so I could make that two-stop happen, which was not planned initially.

"Obviously big congratulations to him. I personally failed on my target this year but there's always next year. He deserved it. He had a strong season."