"I was waiting to wipe the smile off your face": Throwback to when the Lewis Hamilton vs Sebastian Vettel rivalry was at its peak

The rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel during the 2017 and 2018 seasons was one of the best in the sport's history. During that time, both drivers were fighting for the title in their bid to become five-time world champions.

In the season-opener in Australia in 2018, Hamilton and Vettel went toe-to-toe in the qualifying session before the Brit pulled out one of his magical laps to go almost seven-tenths clear of his Ferrari rival.

Lewis Hamilton said of his pole lap:

"I don't have a party mode. I used the same mode from Q2 to the end of Q3, I don't have any extra buttons or extra made that I engaged in..."

Vettel, in his cheeky manner, playfully accused the Briton of hiding his true pace earlier in the session.

"What were you doing before then?"

The Mercedes driver replied:

"I was waiting to put a good lap in. I was waiting to wipe the smile off your face."

"He's one of the few people that's made it not feel lonely" - Lewis Hamilton on Sebastian Vettel

The Briton was highly appreciative of his longtime rival Sebastian Vettel when the German announced his retirement from the sport in the summer of 2022.

As per ESPN, Lewis Hamilton said:

"When I talk about the journey that I've felt I've experienced in this sport and often feeling that it's been relatively lonely, he's one of the few people that's made it not feel lonely. I think he's one of the greatest people we've seen in this sport and we need more like him."

"Sad because I've lost an ally on this side of the sport on the grid but I know that outside he will be doing great things and we will always remain, friends, I hope there are other things we get to do together outside."

He added:

"We are hoping that our work leads it to a better place. The work Seb and I have been trying to do here has been lighting a fire, sparking conversations to leave the sport in a better place than it was when we found it and Seb has had a huge role to play in that."

"There is still a lot of work to do, I don't know if Seb will continue the work in the background in the sport or not. But I do hope it will be in a better place and we have not wasted our time."

It is remarkable to see the level of respect between two greats like Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel despite their intense rivalry.