Lewis Hamilton’s stunning new girlfriend was dumped by her last boyfriend because he couldn’t cope with her quest for fame.
The Formula One ace’s new lover Vivian Burkhardt, a Miss World runner-up, was “devastated” when she was ditched by her last boyfriend Khalil Lewis-Smith.
Khalil had dated Vivian for two years on the paradise island where she lives in the Caribbean, but left her heartbroken when he called time on the relationship.
Now Vivian, 22, is dating Lewis, 23, the hottest property in sport – with pictures beamed around the world of her on his arm at the Cannes film festival premiere of the new Indiana Jones movie last week.
“Khalil dumped Vivian because he just couldn’t cope with her new celebrity when she went into Miss World,” said one of Khalil’s friends.
“His mother also told him to end the relationship because she felt it would not last with Vivian’s fame as a Miss World finalist.
“Khalil is also a very laid-back, quietly spoken guy in contrast to Vivian who is overly ambitious and focused about what she wants out of life.”
Vivian and Lewis hit it off in February when he was visiting his grandfather on Grenada and asked her out for dinner.
Grenadian beautician Rosemarie Charles, whose Carolus natural oils skin care company has done Vivian’s make-up and hair for beauty competitions, said: “I am not surprised that Lewis has fallen for Vivian. She is exotically beautiful and keeps in such great shape through all the sports training she does.”
After visiting him in the South of France last week, Vivian has now flown home to Grenada to leave Lewis to prepare in Monte Carlo for today’s Monaco grand prix.
German born Vivian – who is fluent in French, German and English and wants to be a vascular surgeon – represented Grenada at last year’s Miss World pageant in China.
Khalil, 22, is currently doing an International Studies course at university in Barbados.
“I don’t really want to say anything about Vivian other than she is a very good person,” said Khalil.
Vivian’s Grenadian opera singer mother Valerie dismissed any suggestion that her daughter is a “gold digger” interested in Hamilton for his millions.
“She is not after his fame – she is a good, honest girl,” said Valerie at the family’s cliff-top villa, which has spectacular views of the Caribbean.
One of Vivian’s friends said: “We call her ‘racy lady’ because she’s a triathlete who swims fast, runs fast, cycles fast and turns men’s heads fast.
“She genuinely likes Lewis and they have things in common. They also make a pretty good-looking couple.”
In Grenada yesterday Vivian said she would be watching Hamilton racing on television and would call him afterwards.
“I wish him all the best success in the race – it’s a big moment for him,” she said.
