Lewis Hamilton was left ‘devastated’ after finding out he had hit a groundhog during Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix.
Groundhogs are familiar residents of the Circuit Giles Villeneuve, but they have been known to be reckless when F1 cars are on track.
It ran onto the track on lap 13, just as Hamilton’s Ferrari came past at high speed, with the animal colliding with an audible thud as it hit the Briton’s car and appeared to die.
The impact not only seemingly killed the groundhog but also caused extensive damage to the floor of Hamilton’s car, leading to a frustrating afternoon for the Ferrari driver.
Lewis Hamilton was left ‘devastated’ after finding out he had hit a groundhog during Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix
REUTERS
Speaking after the race, Hamilton told Sky Sports: “It was feeling pretty decent up until then. And then, I didn't see it happen, but obviously, I heard I hit a groundhog.
“So that's devastating. I love animals, and I'm so sad about it. That's horrible. That's never happened to me here before.”
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Ferrari confirmed that the right side of Hamilton’s floor took the hit, resulting in a large loss of downforce, estimating about ’20 points’ of damage.
Hamilton had been struggling with his Ferrari all weekend, telling reporters after qualifying: “This car… it’s like someone who can’t dance.
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Oh no!!! RIP little groundhog 😢 (not your fault Lewis)
— Nicole Piastri (@NicolePiastri) June 15, 2025
"Trying to get someone that doesn't have rhythm to have rhythm, it's very, very difficult. That's how it feels with this car."
Nicole Piastri, mother of McLaren driver Oscar, posted on social media: “Oh no!!! RIP little groundhog. (Not your fault Lewis).”
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The Briton had qualified fifth but brake issues, pit strategy, and the floor damage caused by the incident, left him stuck in traffic as his former team dominated the race.
George Russell controlled the race from pole, while Hamilton’s replacement at the Sliver Arrows, Kimi Antonelli, scored his first podium in F1, with Max Verstappen splitting the two Mercedes on the podium.
Ferrari estimated he lost about '20 points' of downforce on the right hand side after the hit
PA
The Canadian Grand Prix has a long history of wildlife encounters, particularly groundhogs, with many animals known to run across the track during race weekends.
In 2007, Anthony Davidson hit one when he was driving for Super Aguri. Most are noticed when they run onto the circuit and drivers can avoid them, sadly not in Hamilton’s case.
'It's never nice to see that. You don't want to be the cause of that. I just hope it didn't suffer.’ he added.
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