Hitting a groundhog at Canadian GP was devastating: Hamilton

40-year-old finishes sixth with George Russell of Mercedes winning the race

Last updated: June 16, 2025 | 16:44

Jai Rai, Assistant Editor

1 MIN READ

Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving the Scuderia Ferrari SF-25 on track during the F1 Grand Prix of Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve on June 15 in Montreal, Quebec.

AFP

Dubai: Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton was left devastated after he ran over a groundhog during the Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday.

"I was managing the tyre as well, so I was feeling optimistic and then I didn't see it happen but obviously I heard I hit a groundhog, so that's devastating. I love animals so I'm so sad about it. That's horrible," he said after finishing the race in sixth.

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"That's never happened to me here before. But the floor, basically the right side has a hole in it and all the veins are all gone. Then, we had a brake issue halfway through as well," he added.

The 40-year-old finishing sixth, with his team estimating that the damage cost Hamilton about half-a-second per lap for the remainder of the race.

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur said. "It's true that we had a small kiss with the marmot. It was lap eight or nine at the beginning of the first stint.

"And we damaged all the front part of the floor. It's something like 20 points (of downforce). Hopefully, we didn't have a big change in balance, but it was a lot of performance. We will send flowers to the marmot."

The race was won by George Russell of Mercedes, with Max Verstappen of Red Bull in second.

Jai RaiAssistant Editor

Jai is a seasoned journalist with more than two decades of experience across India and the UAE, specialising in sports reporting. Throughout his distinguished career, he has had the privilege of covering some of the biggest names and events in sports, including cricket, tennis, Formula 1 and golf. A former first-division cricket league captain himself, he brings not only a deep understanding of the game but also a cricketer's discipline to his work. His unique blend of athletic insight and journalistic expertise gives him a wide-ranging perspective that enriches his storytelling, making his coverage both detailed and engaging. Driven by an unrelenting passion for sports, he continues to craft compelling narratives that resonate with readers. As the day winds down for most, he begins his work, ensuring that the most captivating stories make it to the print edition in time for readers to receive them bright and early the next morning.