2018 title rivals Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel have taken the opportunity to swap their Formula One helmets as a mark of ”respect” following the conclusion of the season in Abu Dhabi.
Hamilton and Vettel have fought each other for the drivers’ title in the last two seasons, with the Mercedes driver coming out on top in both years. Despite the pair’s intense rivalry, they have maintained a high level of respect off-track, often defending each other when responding to questions posed by the media.
In a video released by Mercedes on the team’s Twitter account, it shows the pair swapping helmets with each other following the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which Hamilton won with Vettel coming home in second.
The ultimate respect between racing drivers… 🤜🤛@LewisHamilton #Seb5 #F1 #AbuDhabiGP pic.twitter.com/hHpSwWzkxS
— Mercedes-AMG F1 (@MercedesAMGF1) November 26, 2018
“This is kind of an honorary thing that drivers do,” Hamilton said in the video. “This is the highest kind of regard of respect that we can have as drivers, this is like our jerseys.”
Vettel, who hasn’t won the title since during his days with Red Bull in 2013, added: “Well done. Five championships is a great achievement and I hope I stop you from anymore.”
Hamilton’s title triumph in 2018 means he now has five titles to his name, compared to Vettel who has four.