Fri, 22 May, 2026 - 18:27

Alex Albon collides with groundhog in Canadian Grand Prix practice

The Williams driver crashed into the barriers and damaged his car after the unfortunate incident at turn seven.

By Scott Hunt, Press Association F1 Reporter, Montreal

Alex Albon crashed into the barriers after hitting a groundhog in practice at the Canadian Grand Prix.

Williams confirmed that the 30-year-old was unable to avoid the local inhabitant as he rounded turn seven.

ð´ RED FLAG ð´

Alex Albon has had a crash in his Williams ð±

He is out of the car and ok#F1 #CanadianGP pic.twitter.com/jca4LWx6ot

— Formula 1 (@F1) May 22, 2026

The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve sits in Parc Jean-Drapeau on Montreal’s Isle Notre Dame and groundhogs on track have become a regular feature during race weekends over the years.

Williams were left with a major repair job to do ahead of sprint qualifying later on Friday as Albon – a huge animal lover whose pets have their own Instagram account – headed back to the garage with over half the sole practice session remaining.

More in this section