Lewis Hamilton ‘devastated’ after killing groundhog during Canadian Grand Prix - Watch
Lewis Hamilton had a disappointing outing in Montreal, finishing outside the podium at the Canadian Grand Prix. He also was left devastated after an incident.
Lewis Hamilton missed out on a podium finish in Montreal as George Russell finished in first position at the Canadian Grand Prix. Meanwhile, Red Bull driver Max Verstappen came second, followed by Mercedes’ AK Antonelli in third position. Ferrari’s Hamilton, on the other hand, came sixth, and was also left devastated as after the race he was informed that he hit a groundhog.
According to Hamilton, the incident probably took place around Lap 12, and also resulted in car damage. The groundhogs have a large population in Montreal’s Ile Notre-Dame, where the Circuit Giles Villeneuve is located. According to multiple media reports, the groundhog was killed by Hamilton’s car, as it went over the rodent, which belongs to the group of large ground squirrels known as marmots.
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Video of Lewis Hamilton killing a groundhog:
Speaking to Sky Sports, the Brit said, “I got a good start [to the race], held position, I was holding onto the group and managing tyres well, so I was feeling optimistic.”
“Then, and I didn't see it happen, but I heard I hit a groundhog.
“That's devastating, I love animals and that's so, so sad. That's never happened to me here before.
“But the floor, the right side, there's a hole in it and all the vanes are all gone.”
It was evident that Hamilton’s car was damaged on the underside, as he slipped from fifth position to seventh. He eventually finished in sixth position, after Lando Norris retired due to a collision.
Hamilton’s car faced issues later, as revealed by the British driver. He said, “Given that and we had a brake issue halfway through as well, and we stayed out probably too long after the first stop and came out behind traffic and it just went from one thing to another.”
“So I'm happy I could just finish, especially with the brake issue I had.
“We're really in need of an upgrade and there's a lot of things that need to change before we can fight at the front,” he added.
