Canadian GP
Groundhog Wrecks Hamilton’s Podium Hopes in F1 Canadian Grand Prix
In an unexpected twist during the Formula 1 Canadian GP, Lewis Hamilton’s hopes of a top-four finish were dashed—not by another driver, but by an unlikely track invader: a groundhog.
The bizarre incident took place on lap 12, as Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari—running strong after a fifth-place qualifying—struck the small mammal on the approach to the hairpin. Though seemingly minor, the collision caused significant damage to the car’s floor, resulting in a loss of approximately 20 points of downforce, which translated to a performance drop of up to half a second per lap.
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur confirmed the animal strike and revealed the extent of the damage. “It’s true that we had a small kiss with the marmot,” Vasseur remarked. “It damaged all the front part of the floor. Hopefully, we didn’t have a big change in balance, but it was a lot of performance. We will send flowers to the marmot.”
Lewis Hamilton, unaware of the strike during the Canadian GP race, said he felt the car “was just slow” and not responding like it had during the early laps. Without the damage, he believes he could have stayed in contention with Oscar Piastri, who finished fourth. “I was kind of holding onto Piastri,” Hamilton noted. “Then I started to drop off… we probably should have stopped around the same time, but we stayed out and lost a tonne of time.”
The Briton eventually finished sixth—behind teammate Charles Leclerc—and acknowledged the outcome could have been better without the unexpected wildlife encounter and strategic missteps.
Ferrari Strategy: More Misfires?
While Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton had nature and the Groundhog to blame at the Canadian GP, Charles Leclerc’s fifth-place finish stemmed from internal disagreements over race strategy. Charles Leclerc was confident he could execute a one-stop race, believing his tires were holding up, but Ferrari opted for the more conservative two-stop strategy used by most front-runners. “We were aligned at one point,” Charles Leclerc said, “but the team decided to converge on the two stops, which I did not agree with at that moment.”
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Fred Vasseur admitted that Ferrari, already trailing the fastest cars, should consider taking more strategic risks, especially when opportunities for podiums are slim. “When you are behind the pack, you can take some risks,” he said. “But a one-stint strategy with 50 laps on hards was a bit too optimistic.”
Ultimately, Ferrari left the Canadian GP with fifth and sixth-place finishes, but the weekend will likely be remembered not for racing brilliance but for an ill-fated encounter with Canadian wildlife that cost Hamilton dearly.
