Lewis Hamilton Reacts After Running Over a Groundhog During F1 Race

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Lewis Hamilton was grieving more than the just the loss of the race.  

During the heat of the 13th lap at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, I unintentionally struck a groundhog while driving for Ferrari in Formula One. Upon recognizing my impact on the track, I couldn’t help but feel deeply saddened by the unfortunate incident involving an animal.

According to ESPN, Hamilton stated that he didn’t witness the incident himself on June 15th, but he later learned that he might have run over a groundhog.

Despite the crash that likely cost me the race and left a gaping hole in my vehicle’s right side, I found myself dwelling not on the race lost, but on the distress I may have inadvertently inflicted upon the blameless animal involved.

He expressed his disappointment further, recalling his initial confidence. As an animal lover, this incident was particularly disheartening for him, something he hadn’t encountered during his previous experiences here.

Nevertheless, even if there hadn’t been a collision, Hamilton, who ultimately finished in sixth position due to Lando Norris retiring after colliding with Oscar Piastri, implied that his Ferrari was encountering difficulties well before the 70-lap race reached its conclusion.

He stated, “Since there was a brake problem midway and we overstayed following the initial pit stop, getting stuck behind other cars. It seemed like one issue led to another. Despite that, I’m glad I managed to cross the finish line.

As a lifestyle expert, I’d like to share an interesting observation: Although Hamilton’s recent racing setback might not solely be attributable to his unexpected wildlife encounter, it’s worth noting that groundhogs have played a surprising role in previous races on Montreal’s Ile Notre-Dame, home to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Intriguing, isn’t it?

In the year 2007, during the Canadian Grand Prix, Anthony Davidson, driving for Super Aguri, encountered an unexpected obstacle – a groundhog, which caused him to veer off course. Consequently, he ended up in eleventh position and had to make a pit stop to replace his damaged front wing.

Later on, around the year 2018, Romain Grosjean encountered a comparable predicament during practice sessions prior to that season’s Grand Prix.

Grosjean expressed his surprise that they didn’t shift it earlier. It’s undeniably unfortunate for the animal, and also for our car’s front wing, which we have very few replacements for. Losing a front wing in such a way is definitely disheartening.

In my experience, when something substantial occurs during a competition, it can be game-changing. If such an event transpires, sadly, your run may have met its end – the repercussions were significant.

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2025-06-16 23:18