WATCH: You've got a small head! - Hamilton and Vettel swap helmets

On the track, the battle for supremacy between Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel is always intense.

Away from the Formula One circuits, though, the two rivals clearly have a mutual respect, as seen by a gesture posted by F1's official Twitter account following the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

It was another dominant year for Mercedes driver Hamilton, who won a fifth world title, with Ferrari star Vettel once again having to settle for second best.

The two offered a heart-warming gesture, though, swapping race helmets in a manner similar to how footballers exchange jerseys at the end of a game.

"It's actually the first time we've swapped helmets I think," Vettel said.

"Five championships is a great achievement. I hope I can stop you winning more!"

Hamilton joked: "You've got a small helmet! I'll not be able to use it, you'll be able to fit mine on."

Watch the full video here below.

They battled fiercely all season on track... But off the circuit, there's ultimate respect between Lewis and Seb pic.twitter.com/UVhM6ehF2G

— Formula 1 (@F1) November 26, 2018