‘I’m so sad about it’— Lewis Hamilton reacts after hitting groundhog during Canadian GP

At the Canadian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton accidentally hit a groundhog, which damaged the underside of his Ferrari and caused distractions to his overall performance during the race.

The accident occurred around Lap 9 at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, where groundhogs usually appear. The damage caused by the collision slowed his car by about half a second per lap, and it resulted in him being in sixth place. 

“I was feeling pretty decent until then. I got a good start, held position. I was holding onto the group… I was managing the tyres well. I was feeling optimistic. I didn’t see it happen, but I heard I hit a groundhog,” Hamilton told Sky Sports. 

The athlete, known to be an animal lover, was very upset by this incident. “That’s devastating because I love animals, and I’m so sad about it. That’s horrible. It’s never happened to me before,” he admitted. 

He also shared the damages of the accident, stating, “The right side of the floor has a hole on it and all the veins are done. Given that, then we had a brake issue halfway through [the race] as well, then we stayed out too long in the first stop, came out behind traffic and it went from one thing to another, so I’m grateful I could just finish, particularly with the brake issue I had and bag those points.” 

Ferrari to upgrade

After the Montreal race, Hamilton was still more than half a second slower than George Russell, who won the pole position. Hamilton’s car was not fast enough to compete with the top drivers in the qualifying at the moment, even though the track was supposed to be good for Ferrari. 

Before the Montreal race, Hamilton shared on social media that returning to the track where he won his first Formula 1 race still felt surreal. He expressed how much the city meant to him and thanked fans for their continued support over the years.

Hamilton then stated that Ferrari will have significant upgrades to their cars as preparations for the next F1 race happening in Austria from June 27-29. He said, “We are really in need of an upgrade, and there are lots of things that need to change for us to compete at the front. We have something hopefully coming next week. I don’t know if it’s much, how much it is. I don’t think it’s a lot. I just think it’s one of those years.” 

In other news, Hamilton also shared that he is part of the production of the upcoming F1 movie, which will premiere on June 27. In a social media post, Hamilton shared the caption: “NY premiere of the @f1movie !! I’m so proud to be a part of this as my first production with Dawn Apollo Films. Something of this scale, with so many talented people working together to create the most authentic F1 film, remains an incredible experience. Thank you to the cast, crew, Apple, Warner Bros., Jerry and Joe for trusting me as a first-time producer. This is only the beginning.”

Netizens flooded the post with praise and excitement, with one writing, “I can’t wait to watch it, see everyone’s hard work 🥰.” Another added, “We are so proud of you @lewishamilton — the beginning of many more accomplishments to come!” Others called him the “king of everything,” saying he’s “truly bigger than F1” and always “taking the sport to new heights and representing greatness.”