Former F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve says Lewis Hamilton carries on 'like he is Jesus'

Former F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve has taken a swing at Lewis Hamilton, slamming the current champ’s antics following the German GP last weekend.

Hamilton’s dramatic reaction to his car breaking down in qualifying and the outburst of emotions following his win was a bit too much for Villeneuve.

Speaking to The Sun, the Canadian said Hamilton put on too much of a show.

'Like he is Jesus'

“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 after winning at Hockenheim. (AAP)

“Then he gestured so dramatically on the podium that everyone could see who sent the sudden rain.”

While Mercedes is flying high at the top of the driver’s championship, boss Toto Wolff played down suggestions that Ferrari has done anything illegal while getting more speed out of its F1 car.

There were suggestions the Italians exposed a loophole regarding its hybrid engine system.

Jacques Villeneuve. (AAP)

But Wolff said, in the end, all teams had to trust each other.

“If someone - and I’m not saying somebody is, because the fact is I don’t know, we are not in anybody’s engine, we are not in anybody’s bodywork - were prepared to risk his reputation then there is very little possibility to police that.

“You need to rely on the integrity of people and organisations, and we do that.

“All the scepticism and paranoia has always existed in Formula One and we rely on the integrity of the FIA, we rely on the integrity of our competitors.

Toto Wolff. (AAP)

“What we’ve seen is that on racetracks that should have suited us - Silverstone and Hockenheim - Ferrari had a car that was very good on the chassis side and a power unit that was the benchmark in the field.

“The only reaction we can have to that is not to say ‘What are they doing?’ but the reaction should be ‘What can we do in order to accelerate our own development program?’.

“My mind-set is that everybody is respecting the integrity [of the regulations] because that is the only way we can go racing.

“If you doubt that, then the whole sport would have a problem, and I don’t [doubt it].”