Lewis Hamilton Mourns Groundhog Killed in Race Incident
British driver Lewis Hamilton said he was “devastated” after accidentally hitting a groundhog during the Canadian Grand Prix, CE Report quotes ANSA.
The seven-time world champion, who finished the race in 6th place, hit the animal at very high speed during lap 13. The impact damaged the floor of his Ferrari, costing him around 20 points of downforce — equivalent to roughly half a second per lap.
After the race, Hamilton expressed his deep sadness over the incident.
“I had a good start, held position, was managing the tyres. I was feeling optimistic,” said Hamilton. “Then... I didn’t even realize what had happened, but they told me I hit a groundhog. It’s shocking. I love animals and I’m really sad about what happened. It’s horrible. That’s never happened to me before. It’s never nice to see these things — I just hope it didn’t suffer.”
Hamilton, a vegan and well-known animal lover, appeared more concerned about the groundhog’s fate than about the performance loss to his car.
