Lewis Hamilton lost 20 points of downforce after hitting a groundhog with his Ferrari during the Canadian Grand Prix.

An incident which Hamilton described as “devastating”, Ferrari’s measurements found a downforce loss that would have cost him “a lot of performance” according to team boss Fred Vasseur, as Hamilton finished the Canadian GP in sixth.

Lewis Hamilton down ’20 points’ of downforce in Canada

For the first time this season, Hamilton outqualified team-mate Charles Leclerc in back-to-back events, securing P5 on the grid to Leclerc’s P8, though Sunday’s result was far less pleasing as Hamilton dropped back from Leclerc’s battle with the McLarens and crossed the line P6, the race finishing behind the Safety Car after Lando Norris collided with McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri.

And while Hamilton had been battling a “brake issue” with his Ferrari, he was also later informed that he had sadly struck a groundhog, the incident leaving him with floor damage.

“I think it was feeling pretty decent up until [the collision],” Hamilton said of his race to Sky F1.

“I got a good start, held position, I was holding onto the group. I was managing the tyres well, so I was feeling optimistic.

“I didn’t see it happen, but obviously I heard I hit a groundhog, 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.

“So with the floor, basically the right side, there’s a hole in it, and all the veins are all gone. So, given that, and we had a brake issue halfway through as well, and then we stayed out probably too long in the first stop and came out behind traffic, and just went from one thing to another.

“I’m grateful that I could just finish, particularly with the brake issue I had, and bag those points.”

Speaking to DAZN, Hamilton added: “The floor — we have all these vanes on the floor and there was like a hole. So in one of the most important parts of the car.

“After lap 13, it was terrible — I just wanted it to end. I couldn’t see anyone ahead or behind. I was just driving around. I was trying to push but nothing was working. I just wanted to see the finish line. It was an uneventful race. Not my worst race in Montreal, but it’s up there.”

And team boss Vasseur confirmed that Hamilton’s Ferrari suffered extensive damage.

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“It’s true that we had a small kiss with a marmot,” Vasseur told the media post-race. “It was Lap 8 or 9, beginning of the first stint.

“We measured the front part of the floor. It’s something like 20 points.

“Hopefully we didn’t have a big change in balance, but it was a lot of performance.”

Hamilton sits a position and 25 points behind Leclerc in the Drivers’ Championship standings with 10 rounds gone.

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