Show me respect! Hamilton hits back
Former champion Villeneuve makes the claim that Mercedes driver appears to believe he is Jesus
>> BUDAPEST: Championship leader Lewis Hamilton came out fighting on Thursday after a week in which he accused his critics of being disrespectful and even found himself being compared to Jesus!
Talking to reporters ahead of this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix, which he has won a record five times, the defending world champion suggested he sometimes deserves more praise, notably as demonstrated in last Sunday’s rain-hit German Grand Prix.
In that race, the Briton delivered a masterclass in the wet conditions in his Mercedes to win from 14th on the grid as many, including fellow fourtime world champion Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari, slithered off the track.
When he watched on television that evening, however, Hamilton was astonished by the lack of praise forthcoming from former F1 drivers, working as pundits, and explanations, as he raced to a success that leap-frogged him from eight points adrift to 17 ahead of Vettel in the championship.
“I watched a race that felt so great in my heart on the track, but there were certain things that were not being perceived that way,” he said.
“There was a point where I was three seconds a lap quicker than the other drivers. The difference that I was making in the car and the different lines I was choosing were not explained.”
In his frustration, he made a critical post on Instagram, which he later took down. “I took the post down because it was [written] in the middle, or towards the end, and then there were good comments from some of the ex-drivers. They have a tough job to report what is going on in the race.”
Despite regaining the Formula One lead, Hamilton maintains Ferrari have the upper hand.
“Ferrari have really taken a step up, particularly in their qualifying performance. We are under no illusion we have to battle hard against them,’’ Hamilton said.
“They slightly have the upper hand at the moment. We’re racing a team that is faster than us this year. Last year was more balanced, this year is swinging more in their direction. We’re having to over-deliver at weekends.’’
Hamilton was undoubtedly quickest last year, breaking F1 great Michael Schumacher’s record for pole positions along the way, but the British driver — who describes himself as a “perfectionist’’ — thinks he is not doing enough in qualifying. Nor, he said, is he starting races well enough.
“There are parts of my performance this year which aren’t perfect,’’ Hamilton said. “Last year I was great in qualifying, this year it’s an area I need to work on. [My] starts were more consistent last year.’’
Considering the tight Hungaroring circuit is among the toughest for overtaking — Monaco is the hardest — Hamilton feels under extra pressure to get pole for tomorrow’s race. Vettel won here last year from pole, ahead of Kimi Raikkonen in a Ferrari one-two.
“I need to get on the front row. I need P1,’’ Hamilton said. “Position is mostly everything here.’’
Meanwhile, 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve has made the bizarre claim that Hamilton appears to believe he is Jesus. “He confuses Formula One with Hollywood,” the Canadian racer, now a pundit with Sky Italia, told German magazine Auto Bild. “Everything he does is staged. He portrays himself on social media like he is Jesus
“The way he knelt next to his car after his problem in qualifying [in Germany] looked like the suffering of Christ. And what he said afterwards was the Sermon on the Mount.
“Then he gestured so dramatically on the podium that everyone could see who sent the sudden rain.”