Oops! Lewis Hamilton Stumbles Upon a Canadian Groundhog at the Grand Prix
Racing champion Lewis Hamilton navigates groundhog-filled terrain.
A tough day for Lewis Hamilton and a hapless Canadian groundhog. The F1 record-breaking champion struck one of these critters during the race, leaving him dejected. Earlier, another smash had left everyone deflated.
For a stretch, things seemed to be going smoothly for Lewis Hamilton, but this brief moment of respite didn't last long. His Ferrari suddenly lost power midrace at the Canadian Grand Prix - and the cause was tough for the animal-loving Hamilton to stomach.
"I was informed I hit a groundhog," Hamilton muttered after the race on Sky: "That's disheartening, I adore animals, it's dismaying. I've never faced such an incident here before."
Such accidents aren't unusual on the Montreal track, dubbed the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The course lies on an artificially generated, lush island in the St. Lawrence River, and groundhogs are part of the urban scenery here. Year after year, they remain unfazed by the whizzing cars at over 300 km/h. One of them met its demise at Hamilton's Ferrari.
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And the SF-25 sustained damage, lost a bit of downforce, hindering Hamilton by up to half a second per lap. A top-six finish was the best he could manage.
Hamilton is still chasing a turnaround in his rookie year at Ferrari, and optimism seems scarce. "We really need an upgrade, a lot needs to change for us to compete at the front," he said - but not much hints at new advancements at Ferrari: "I think something is coming next week, but I don't think it will radically alter things." The 2025 season, Hamilton's inaugural year in red, "appears to be just one of those years," he mused.
Apart from Hamilton, Lando Norris caused the biggest commotion in Canada when he rammed heavily into Oscar Piastri just before the end and could not continue. "That's my fault, sorry guys. That was careless of me," the Briton radioed to his McLaren crew with a dispirited voice. His teammate managed to clinch fourth, but stood in the pit lane after the race with a pallid face and hollow eyes. The long-awaited disaster at McLaren finally transpired in Montreal.
[Sources: ntv.de, dbe/sid]
Insights:
- Lewis Hamilton faced an incident where his Ferrari struck a groundhog on the Montreal Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, causing significant damage to the vehicle and affecting his performance.
- Hamilton, known for his love for animals, expressed deep sadness and concern for the critter.
- The presence of wildlife at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a recurring issue, as groundhogs, like the one hit by Hamilton, are often found on the racetrack.
- The Canadian Grand Prix was marked by numerous dramatic incidents, including a collision between McLaren teammates.
- The damage caused a significant loss of performance for Hamilton, estimated at around half a second per lap. Despite this, he managed to finish sixth, with George Russell securing his first win of the season.
Lewis Hamilton's love for sports, particularly Formula 1, was tested during the Canadian Grand Prix when he accidentally hit a groundhog on the track, causing damage to his Ferrari. This incident affected his performance, leaving him more than half a second slower per lap, ultimately resulting in a sixth-place finish. Meanwhile, in a separate incident, Lando Norris of McLaren was remorseful for a careless collision that ended his race and brought a long-awaited disaster to his team.
