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 four-time 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.