Lewis Hamilton Reflects on the Groundhog Incident During the Race: “I’m Really Upset About It”

Seven-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton expressed his sorrow after discovering that his car had struck a groundhog during the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal on Sunday. “I didn’t see it happen, but I heard I hit a groundhog, so that’s devastating,” Hamilton, an animal rights advocate and vegan, stated to Sky Sports after finishing sixth.

The 40-year-old Ferrari driver, who started the race in fifth place, noted that he began losing speed early on due to damage caused to the floor of his car by the incident. “I love animals, so I’m so sad about it,” Hamilton remarked. “It’s horrible. It’s never happened to me before.”

Hamilton secured sixth place at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, finishing just behind his teammate Charles Leclerc, and at one point radioed his team to express that he was “nowhere in the race”.
Ferrari chief Fred Vasseur confirmed that the car had indeed hit a groundhog after approximately eight or nine laps, resulting in floor damage that reduced downforce by about 20 points, equating to half a second per lap.

At one point, Hamilton trailed Leclerc by around 22 seconds before a late safety car grouped the field back together.

“We will send flowers to the marmot (groundhog),” Vasseur stated.

Hamilton, the sport’s most successful driver and a passionate vegan, felt particularly upset.

“I was managing the tyres well. I was feeling optimistic. I didn’t see it happen, but I heard I hit a groundhog,” he told the media.

“That’s devastating because I love animals, and I’m so sad about it,” he added. “That’s horrible. It’s never happened to me before.

“The right side of the floor has a hole in it, and all the vanes are damaged.”

Groundhogs pose a frequent risk at the Montreal circuit, located on an artificial island in the Saint Lawrence Seaway.