Verstappen was angry after victory was denied to him in Brazil last time out. World champion Lewis Hamilton in fourth in second practice session. LONDON: Max Verstappen is feeling confident ahead of Saturday’s qualifying in the final Grand Prix of the season in the UAE capital. The Dutchman, who was quickest in Friday’s first practice session, and second behind Valtteri Bottas in the second, came into the Abu Dhabi race in the spotlight having pushed French rival Esteban Ocon after the two collided at the Brazilian Grand Prix. He was leading at the time and angry his chance of a sixth race win had been ruined. But keen to remind everyone he is more than a hothead in the paddock Verstappen set the early pace in session one before Mercedes’ Bottas pipped him in day’s last session. And that has the 21-year-old hoping for big things this weekend. “Yeah it was a good day, straight away from the first run I had little complaints,” the Red Bull driver said. “Definitely in the last sector and in most of the corners of the track the car is looking good.” Of his altercation with Ocon Verstappen’s team boss Christian Horner said it showed what a passionate young driver he is. The Dutchman is viewed as the next big thing in F1 and Horner said: “You don’t know what was said in the room that antagonized him. It happened, it’s done, you’ve got an emotional driver who lost the lead of the Grand Prix — it happens with other sports. I’m not condoning violence in any way but that’s what sport is about (emotion) and sometimes it boils over.” While a lot of the focus was on Verstappen, it was Bottas who took the honors on day one of the three-day spectacle of speed. The flying Finn outpacing both Red Bulls under the floodlights at the Yas Marina circuit and his teammate, newly crowned champion Lewis Hamilton. Bottas topped the times in one minute and 37.236 seconds to outpace Verstappen by 0.044 seconds with Daniel Ricciardo third, two-tenths adrift. Hamilton was fourth-quickest in the second Mercedes after struggling for grip, and problems with the car were clearly for all to see. The Briton, who won the championship two races ago in Mexico, appeared dissatisfied with his car’s performance, saying over the radio mid-session: “It’s quite an unhappy car at the moment.” The two Ferraris led Kimi Raikkonnen were fifth and sixth, four-time champion German Sebastian Vettel failing to make a serious challenge. Vettel was not too disheartened, though, and declared the Prancing Horse would come out firing for today’s qualifying. “I think it’s been ok, we’re not quick enough but hopefully we’ll be quicker tomorrow,” the German said. “We tried everything we could today.”