Verstappen pleased but still working on 'balance' of RB15

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Aston Martin Red Bull's Max Verstappen declared himself pleased with his opening day of running in Abu Dhabi, although the Dutchman wasn't satisfied with the balance of his RB15.

Verstappen clocked in second behind pacesetter Valtteri Bottas in FP1 but concluded the evening session fifth behind both Mercedes and Ferrari drivers and three tenths clear of fourth-placed man Sebastian Vettel.

The Brazilian Grand Prix winner's overall pace looked like a work in progress, with Verstappen still in the process of tweaking his set-up.

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"Overall, it was a pretty decent Friday," said the 22-year-old.

"I’m not entirely happy with the balance yet and there are of course still some things we need to look at and do better but overall I’m pretty pleased.

"Mercedes look very strong here again and will be hard to beat but I still think it will be close tomorrow.

"We will analyse the tyre data later today but overall there are no real surprises. The soft is quick over one lap and on race runs it drops off as expected."

Teammate Alex Albon trailed Verstappen in both sessions but remained within the top 6, the British-Thai racer focusing his attention on set-up improvements.

"The balance was ok and we know we need to improve a little bit here and there but Max looked quick so let’s see how things go tomorrow," Albon said.

"I think I’ve got a little bit of fine tuning to do on my side, especially in sector three, but we’re chipping away.

"The Ferraris will of course be quick in qualifying but let’s see where we are come qualifying."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.