Lewis Hamilton devastated after running over a groundhog in Canadian GP

Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton expressed his profound devastation after a tragic incident during Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix where he unintentionally ran over a groundhog. The collision occurred on the 13th lap of the race in Montreal, leaving a noticeable hole in the floor of his SF-25 car.

The 40-year-old racing icon ultimately finished sixth, with his team estimating that the damage inflicted by the impact cost Hamilton roughly half-a-second per lap for the remainder of the race at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

However, for the seven-time world champion, a committed vegan and vocal animal lover, the immediate concern overshadowed his on-track performance. He was far more distressed by the "horrible" death of the groundhog.

"It was feeling pretty decent up until then. And then, I didn't see it happen, but obviously I heard I hit a groundhog," Hamilton recounted. "So that's devastating. I love animals, and I'm so sad about it. That's horrible. That's never happened to me here before. It's never nice to see that - I just hope it didn't suffer."

Groundhogs, a large species of ground squirrel indigenous to North America, are a common sight around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, which is situated on an artificial island within the Saint Lawrence River. Their presence often adds an unexpected element to the Canadian Grand Prix.

Despite the unfortunate incident, the race concluded with Mercedes driver George Russell securing his first victory of the season from pole position in Montreal, with reigning champion Max Verstappen finishing in second place.