With Lewis Hamilton having already secured the Formula One world championship, the Briton could afford to be relaxed in the buildup to the season finale this weekend in Abu Dhabi and the Mercedes driver was more than happy to engage in some verbal sparring with his title rival Sebastian Vettel.

Hamilton took the championship in Mexico having won nine races to Vettel’s five, but for much of the season the pair were engaged in a tight battle. However, while they have enjoyed some close racing only two passes have been made on the track against each other – both by Hamilton.

At the press conference at Yas Marina, the 32-year-old said he could not recall his favourite passing move and Vettel interjected. “There isn’t much to remember when you don’t have to pass that many people,” the Ferrari driver said, referencing the advantage Hamilton’s Mercedes supposedly enjoyed, although that had been far from the case over the season as a whole.

“I passed you a couple of times,” Hamilton shot back. “They were the exciting ones. The closer races we had were the ones I enjoyed the most.”

The pair had raced hard and closely without passing, notably at Spa, where there was almost nothing to choose between them but where, again, Hamilton went on to win. He expects Vettel and Ferrari to come at him strongly again next season and was aware their exchange reflected a determination on both their behalves to finish well in Abu Dhabi.

“We have this battle of wanting to get ahead of each other,” he said. “So I am extremely driven this weekend to try and finish the season off as strongly as I have been in the second half of the year. Sebastian won the last race [in Brazil] and I don’t want to give him this one. I am giving it everything as if I am still fighting for the championship.”

In a somewhat end-of-term atmosphere, Vettel also reflected jokingly on what had been one of the flashpoints of the season. In Azerbaijan he had side-swiped Hamilton after believing the British driver had brake-tested him. The German was a given stop-go penalty and later apologised for the incident.

When asked about the concept of giving more awards to drivers in F1, Vettel replied: “I should get move of the year, personality of the year, and what was the last award? Fair play? OK, maybe not that one, but the first two for Baku.”