The first day of practice for the 2019 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix took place on Friday, and the teams and drivers have their first indication about what might happen over the remainder of the weekend.
Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen remains calm about what lies ahead and, despite already looking forward to next year, he is focused on laying down a marker at the end of the 2019 season with a strong finish.
"It's the end of the season. Everybody seems a bit more relaxed, but you always want to finish on a high and get a good result, so we'll definitely go for it," the Dutch driver told The National.
While the drivers' and constructors' titles have already been wrapped up by Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes respectively, Verstappen still expects a competitive race at Yas Marina Circuit. "I don't expect any difference," he said.
Red Bull have endured an inconsistent season this year, but Verstappen is satisfied with the way things have levelled out.
"I think it's been all right," he said. "The two victories [in Austria and Germany] were nice. Of course, we had a few difficulties at the start of the season and after the summer break, but we learned a lot. So overall it's been positive. I think everybody is excited for next year now."
Friday proved an an eventful opening day in Abu Dhabi, but Verstappen is unconcerned about the practice session will indicate come qualifying and the race.
"Today was just the first practice, which is not really representative for qualifying," he said. "It was just about getting a decent feeling from the car."
He does enjoy the challenges of Yas Marina Circuit, though.
"The facilities and everything here, amazing," he said. "The corners are quite slow so there's a lot about being very precise, so if one corner doesn't work out or you make a mistake, you're not well positioned for the other one. It's such a different challenge, so that is good."
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Photos from Abu Dhabi GP Friday practice
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Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing and The Netherlands during practice for the F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina Circuit. Getty Images -
Daniel Ricciardo from Renault F1 Team arrives at the track. Victor Besa / The National -
Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel during practice. Reuters -
Kevin Magnussen of Haas F1 Team tries to outrun the media as he arrives at the track. Victor Besa / The National -
Max Verstappen of Aston Martin Red Bull Racing signs the shirt of a fan. Victor Besa / The National -
Sebastian Vettel from Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow arrives at the track. Victor Besa / The National -
Kevin Magnussen of Haas F1 Team tries to outrun the media as he arrives at the track. Victor Besa / The National -
Alexander Albon of Aston Martin Red Bull Racing arrives at the track. Victor Besa / The National -
Romain Grosjean of Haas F1 Team arrives at the track. Victor Besa / The National -
George Russell of Rokit Williams Racing arrives. Victor Besa / The National -
Pierre Gasly from Scuderia Toro Rosso and partner arrive at the track. Victor Besa / The National -
Pierre Gasly of France driving the (10) Scuderia Toro Rosso STR14 Honda on track during practice for the F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. Getty Images -
Ferrari's German driver Sebastian Vettel is pictured during the first practice session at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, two days ahead of the final race of the season. AFP -
Daniil Kvyat driving the (26) Scuderia Toro Rosso STR14 Honda on track during practice for the F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Getty Images -
Charles Leclerc of Monaco driving the (16) Scuderia Ferrari SF90 on track during practice for the F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Getty Images -
Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (33) Aston Martin Red Bull Racing RB15 on track during practice for the F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Getty Images -
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc during practice. Reuters -
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc during practice. Reuters -
Kimi Rãikkonen of Alfa Romeo Racing launches from the pit. Victor Besa / The National -
Antonio Giovinazzi of Alfa Romeo Racing in action. Victor Besa / The National -
Sebastian Vettel of Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow launches from the pit. Victor Besa / The National -
Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team in action during the first practice session of the day. -
Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team in action during the first practice session of the day. Victor Besa / The National -
Pit action from the McLaren F1 Team during the first practice session of the day. Victor Besa / The National -
Max Verstappen of Aston Martin Red Bull Racing interview with The National. Victor Besa / The National
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In an interview with The National, F1 pundit Eddie Jordan cited Verstappen and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc as being the two drivers most likely to give Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas problems next year. This expectation doesn't faze Verstappen.
"I mean for me it doesn't change anything," he said. "I just have to focus on myself. You always have to believe in yourself, that it is possible, and, if we have the car, I'm very positive that as a team we can do it."
Pressure is not an issue for the driver, either. When asked if he felt pressure, Verstappen looked blank and said: "No. Not at all. I enjoy what I'm doing, so for me it's not like there's any pressure to it.
"I just listen to people close to me a lot. It's not only Formula 1 anyway. Your life is about a lot more than Formula 1. I think many drivers forget that sometimes. I enjoy doing other stuff in my free time and it's good to balance it out a bit."
