Valtteri Bottas can shine under the lights in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix qualifying
Channel 4 & Sky Sports F1, 1pm Saturday

There's an end-of-term feeling in the Abu Dhabi paddock so perhaps it's not a big surprise that the two men who fought out the championship - Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel - were outpaced by their teammates on the final practice day of the season.

Valtteri Bottas set the pace in the second session, at the same time of day that qualifying will take place.

The Finn was victorious in the desert last year from pole position, and won't lack motivation having not won a race since then.

Max Verstappen had been fastest in the earlier practice, and only just missed out on doubling up in the evening.

However, after topping the times on the Friday in Brazil the Red Bull youngster could qualify no better than fifth when Mercedes and Ferrari cranked up their engines, and it will be a shock if it's not the same case in Abu Dhabi.

Hamilton ended the day fourth but looked capable of lapping quicker. Bottas played the faithful wingman on more than one occasion for his Mercedes teammate this season, and there's a suspicion the now-five times world champion Hamilton won't mind letting Bottas have his moment in the spotlight this weekend.

The Ferraris of Kimi Raikkonen and Vettel ended the day fifth and sixth.

Having fielded the fastest car earlier in the season they now don't look a match for Mercedes, and haven't secured a pole position since Raikkonen's pole at Monza in September.

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