Lewis Hamilton Heartbroken After Hitting Groundhog During Canadian Grand Prix as George Russell Takes the Win
The Canadian Grand Prix had its fair share of drama — from an unfortunate run-in with a groundhog to a first win of the season for George Russell and an explosive McLaren clash. Here’s what went down in Montreal.
A Devastated Hamilton Hits a Groundhog
Lewis Hamilton left the Canadian Grand Prix feeling more heartbroken than frustrated — and not just because of his sixth-place finish.
The seven-time world champion, who started fifth on the grid, lost significant pace early in the race and didn’t know why until afterward. The culprit? A groundhog. The animal had wandered onto the track at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and was struck by Hamilton’s Ferrari, damaging the car’s floor and costing him around half a second per lap.
“I didn’t see it happen, but I heard I hit a groundhog, so that’s devastating,” Hamilton told Sky Sports. “I love animals, so I’m so sad about it. It’s horrible. It’s never happened to me here before.”
Hamilton, a committed vegan and animal rights advocate, seemed genuinely shaken. He said the car felt “pretty decent” at the start and that he was optimistic about the race — until the incident. Brake issues later added to his troubles, and a poorly timed pit stop put him behind traffic.
“It went from one thing to another,” he said. “I’m grateful I could just finish, particularly with the brake issue I had, and bag those points.”
Russell Rules Montreal
While Hamilton was dealing with heartbreak, fellow Brit George Russell had a stellar day. Starting from pole, the Mercedes driver held off a determined Max Verstappen to claim his first win of the season — and his first trip to the top step of the podium in over a year.
“It’s amazing to be back on the top step,” Russell said. “To get the victory and see Kimi [Antonelli] on the podium, too, is an amazing day for the team.”
Verstappen, who finished second, seemed satisfied with the result, despite his season-long rivalry with Russell heating up once again. Antonelli secured third in what was a dream result for Mercedes.
McLaren Meltdown
The biggest flashpoint of the day came in the final laps, when the two McLaren teammates — both leading the F1 drivers’ standings — collided in a dramatic scrap for position.
Lando Norris made several bold attempts to overtake Oscar Piastri with just four laps to go. But the aggressive push ended in disaster: Norris clipped Piastri’s rear tire, sending himself into the wall and out of the race.
Piastri managed to pit and salvage a fourth-place finish, but the moment cost McLaren dearly.
“I’m sorry. All my bad. All my fault. Stupid from me,” Norris said over the team radio right after the crash. Speaking later to Sky Sports, he owned the mistake completely. “I apologize to the whole team and to Oscar as well for attempting something probably a bit too silly.”
The clash widened the points gap between the two teammates, with Piastri now 22 points clear of Norris in the championship standings.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella didn’t hold back. “We never want to see a McLaren car involved in an accident — and definitely not contact between our two cars,” he said. “This is a situation we know is not acceptable. At the same time, we appreciate that Lando immediately owned it.”
Up Next: Austria
With the dust settling in Montreal, the F1 circus now heads to Europe. The Austrian Grand Prix is set for June 29 — and if Montreal was any indication, the next round could be just as unpredictable.
Source: CNN – Lewis Hamilton ‘so sad’ after hitting groundhog during Canadian Grand Prix as George Russell claims win
