A former F1 champion says Lewis Hamilton confuses the racetrack with Hollywood and acts like Jesus
- Lewis Hamilton won the German Grand Prix last weekend after starting in 14th place on the grid.
- His jubilant celebrations after the shock win hit a sour note for former Formula One champion Jacques Villeneuve, though.
- Villeneuve accused Hamilton of confusing F1 with Hollywood, and acting like Jesus.
"I guess for those who don't know me, now you do," Lewis Hamilton said after his shock victory at the German Grand Prix last weekend.
The Mercedes-AMG driver came from 14th on the grid to steal victory after arch-rival Sebastian Vettel, of Ferrari, crashed out of the race after 52 laps.
Hamilton's celebrations didn't go down well with everyone, though - not least former Formula One champion Jacques Villeneuve.
Villeneuve told German media outlet Auto Bild: "He confuses Formula One with Hollywood. 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 looked like the suffering of Christ. And what he said afterwards was the Sermon on the Mount."
Hamilton certainly has a lot of celebrity friends, including PSG soccer superstar Neymar Jr, Justin Bieber, and Usain Bolt.
He also lives a pretty lavish lifestyle.
Hamilton's net worth is estimated to be around £131 million ($172 million), and he spends his earnings on luxury cars, properties and a £16.5 million ($22 million) private jet.
However, Villeneuve's accusation of melodrama is hard to sympathise with given that the four-time world champion had just climbed a seemingly improbable 13 places to claim victory.
Hamilton, who is one of the world's highest-paid sportsmen, suffered from a hydraulics failure in the first round of qualifying, setting him way back on the grid.
His win at Hockenheim, Germany, places him above Vettel in the driver's standings and puts Mercedes ahead of Ferrari in the constructor's standings.