Lewis Hamilton: Ferrari driver reveals he hit groundhog during Canadian GP in Montreal | F1 News
Lewis Hamilton revealed that he had struck a marmot during the Canadian Grand Prix that affected his performance.
Hamilton finished a sixth lonely but suffered from the Tour 9 damage to the 70 round race when he hit the animal, which is a regular feature when F1 visits the Gilles Villeneuve circuit.
The Ferrari driver lost 20 support points which is equivalent to approximately half a second per turn and explained why he was 22 seconds late on teammate Charles Leclerc before the late safety car of Lando Norris and the collision of Oscar Piastri.
“I felt quite decent until then. I had a good start, I was holding a job, I kept the group,” said Hamilton Sky Sports F1.
“I managed the tires well. I felt optimistic. I did not see him happen but I heard that I hit a marmot. It is devastating because I like animals and I am so sad about it. It is horrible. It has never happened to me before.
“The right side of the ground has a hole on it and all the veins are finished. Since this, then we had a brake problem halfway [the race] In addition, then we stayed for too long in the first stop, left behind traffic and this went from one thing to another, so I am grateful to be able to finish, especially with the braking problem that I had and put these points. “”
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Lewis Hamilton was devastated when he discovered that he had struck a marbking during the Canadian Grand Prix race
Montreal was to be a more competitive track for Ferrari, but Hamilton was still more than six tenths from the Pole-Sitter George Russell on Saturday.
Hamilton suggested that Ferrari will bring an upgrade of the next F1 race in Austria on June 27 and 29.
“We really need an upgrade and there are a lot of things that have to change so that we can compete in front,” he said.
“We have something that, hope it, come to come next week. I don’t know if it’s a lot, how it is. I don’t think it’s a lot. I’m just thinking it’s one of these years.”
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Ferrari Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc drivers react after the qualifications in Montreal
Questions to the Ferrari strategy
Leclerc and Lando Norris were the main two on the sides to start hard tires and carry out an alternative strategy.
The Monegasque pilot was opposed before the half-frying, which meant that a single counter race was no longer possible even if Leclerc said that the tires were still held.
He also led the race with 18 laps to do until Ferrari made him oppose the second time, which leaves him in fifth.
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Friday, Charles Leclerc collapsed from the first training at the Canadian Grand Prix
“I was almost sure that one blow would be better on my side,” Leclerc told Sky Sports F1.
“I thought I had done a good job with the tires at the start, then I saw that the average runners were quite confident to push these tires.
“I was convinced that the counter was the way to follow. But we decided to do otherwise. I do not have the information inside the car, so we stick to two stops. I did my best and P5 was the best I could do.
“We paid the price of my error in FP1 and traffic in qualifying. I am probably the first to blame. The strategy might have been better, but the starting position was what retained us.”
The next step for the Formula 1 2025 season is a return to Europe for the Austrian Grand Prix, which is live on Sky Sports F1 from June 27 to 29. Stream Sky Sports with now – no contract, cancel at any time.
