Sebastian Vettel was one of the first to congratulate Lewis Hamilton on his sixth world title triumph, having made a beeline to the cool-down room to applaud his long-term rival at the United States GP.
Hamilton finished in second place at the Circuit of the Americas, when eighth would have been enough, taking the championship with a podium finish for the first time since a title-securing race win at COTA in 2015.
Vettel, by comparison, had a miserable race as a poor start was compounded by a dramatic suspension failure on lap eight that ended his efforts prematurely.
But the Ferrari man greeted Hamilton with a smile and a handshake as his latest title win sunk in, demonstrating the deep respect that exists between the pair.