AUGUST 2, 2018

Villeneuve plays down Jesus Christ comparison

Jacques Villeneuve has played down quotes that suggested he thinks Lewis Hamilton behaves like Jesus Christ.

The quotes spread like wildfire on the internet, but outspoken 1997 world champion Villeneuve says they were taken out of context.

"I never made this statement in an interview with a media outlet," he told Le Journal de Montreal. "It was never an answer to a question."

Villeneuve also backtracked on another story, in which he said his former team Williams is "dead".

"I never said it was dead. I said it was dying. It's not the same thing," he said.

"My comments were translated into German and then into another language. When you do that, the meaning can change.

"When these are not organised interviews, there can be changes to the meaning that are enormous," Villeneuve added.

Finally, the 47-year-old was asked about rumours linking fellow Canadian Lance Stroll with a move from Williams to Force India for 2019.

"Honestly, it's not much more rosy than Force India, as that team is failing because of an owner who does not pay debts," Villeneuve said.

"I even read that their main sponsor is not really giving support but rather a loan," he added.

"If Stroll goes, it probably will not change his status a lot."

(GMM)