Hamilton: The respect has grown

Speaking to reporters ahead of the race through the streets of Baku, Hamilton reflected on the incident, "It's good to see fire within the people that you're competing with, it's also good to see that they're not perfect because I guess nobody's perfect."

"We all make mistakes but it's more so how people handle it and how they progress [that] is what you can really learn from. He's continued to progress as the champion that he is. How he presents himself, how he speaks, he continues to grow and the words that he uses today."

"The respect has grown, actually, a considerable amount since then. I'm sure it will continue," admitted Hamilton.

During the post-race press conference after the Bahrain Grand Prix, Vettel came to Hamilton's defence when a journalist posed an awkward question to Hamilton regarding what he had called Max Verstappen in the pre-podium room at Sakhir.

Last year this time (before Baku) the pair were on fine terms and mutual respect blossomed. But after the race in Azerbaijan the animosity was almost tangible, now it appears time has helped thaw the thick ice that existed between them...