Sir Lewis Hamilton said he felt devastated after learning that he had hit and killed a groundhog, damaging his Ferrari, on his way to finishing sixth in the Canadian Grand Prix.
Hamilton, who owns a French bulldog called Roscoe that is often seen with him at Grands Prix, said he did not see the groundhog and felt that the incident reduced the performance of his car after a bright start this morning.
“It was feeling pretty decent up until then,” the seven-time world champion said. “I got a good start, I held position and I was holding on to the leading group.
“I was managing the tyres well, so I was feeling optimistic.
“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.