Updated 16 June 2025 at 18:17 IST
Canadian GP 2025: Lewis Hamilton's BIZARRE First That Dented Any Hopes of a Positive Result in Montreal
Lewis Hamilton's Canadian GP 2025 F1 race was massively impacted by a bizarre incident that saw him losing significant levels of downforce to his rivals.
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Lewis Hamilton at the Canadian GP 2025 F1 race | Image:
AP
The Canadian GP 2025 Formula 1 race was a very tough one for Ferrari drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. The car generally looked off the pace compared to their immediate rivals in Red Bull and Mercedes, and it was George Russell who crossed the finish line first ahead of Max Verstappen. McLaren driver and F1 world driver's championship leader Oscar Piastri finished fourth, behind Kimi Antonelli. However, there is a belief that Ferrari could have been closer to the fight up front if not for a few poor strategy calls, as well as a bizarre incident that left Hamilton severely hampered.
Hamilton was looking decent in the opening parts of the race but the team soon reported he was losing downforce and would not be able to push much harder. In the end, he managed a sixth-place finish behind teammate Leclerc.
Stray Groundhog to Blame For Issues
The reason he was so far off the pace? Hamilton hit a stray groundhog that had wandered onto the racing line, killing the animal and damaging his car in the process.
"I didn't see it happen, but I heard I hit a groundhog. That's devastating because I love animals and I'm so sad about it. It's horrible," Hamilton said after the race.
Whether he could have been closer to the fight up front is up for debate but there is no doubting the fact that it severely hampered Hamilton and Ferrari.
Can Ferrari Recover Soon?
The team will hope to bounce back stronger in the next race at Austria which is in two weeks from now given there are rumours of big changes incoming at the top.
The position of team principal Fred Vasseur is reportedly under threat and according to media reports in Italy, he has 3 races to show some progress on the car.
Vasseur and Ferrari have both denied the links but such changes are not uncommon at Ferrari and so the team will need to find pace or bring upgrades soon.
Published 16 June 2025 at 18:17 IST