During the Canadian GP, Lewis Hamilton hit a groundhog, resulting in a loss of around twenty points of aerodynamic downforce on his Ferrari.
In the early stages of the tenth round of the season, a curious yet dramatic incident occurred. Lewis Hamilton was forced to run more than half of the Canadian GP with a loss of twenty points of aerodynamic downforce on his Ferrari due to one of the groundhogs frequently seen throughout the weekend.
The Montreal race takes place inside Parc Jean-Drapeau on Notre-Dame Island, where many animals appear each year and become unofficial mascots during the sessions. That was again the case this year, with car number 44 of the Scuderia involved in a rather dramatic incident.
What happened to Lewis Hamilton?
The former Mercedes driver began reporting issues with his SF-25 right from the start of the race. These problems were later quantified as a loss of approximately twenty points of downforce, caused by a groundhog on the track that Lewis Hamilton was unable to avoid. That aerodynamic loss translated to about half a second per lap in race pace.
This was certainly a significant setback that ultimately compromised the seven-time world champion’s race. Ferrari had shown good pace in Canada but couldn’t convert it into a podium finish. In addition to Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc was also held back after an error in Q3 forced him to start from eighth on the grid.
It was a weekend that left a bitter taste for both Ferrari drivers. Still, the Scuderia can take encouragement from the progress made in recent races, following a difficult start to the season.
🚨 | Lewis Hamilton hit a groundhog on lap 13 and that’s where the damage comes from.
— La Gazzetta Ferrari (@GazzettaFerrari) June 15, 2025
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