Alex Albon Slams the Wall in Canadian GP FP1 As He Avoids Groundhog

UPDATE: It has been confirmed that Alex Albon hit a marmot and crashed due to trying to avoid the animal. Alex Albon ‘s Friday in Montreal has taken a nasty turn. The Williams driver hit the barriers hard on the exit of Turn 7 during FP1 at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, bringing out a second red flag of the session and leaving his car with rear wing damage and both left-side tyres destroyed, along with what appears to be suspension damage on that side.

Albon climbed out of the car unaided, and the Medical Car has been deployed to collect him – though he’s expected to be returned to the pit lane rather than taken to the medical center. That’s good news , but the delay this kind of recovery operation requires will run longer than the earlier Lawson stoppage. A Marmot May Have Played a Role FP1 at the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix was held on May 22 – and Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, sitting on an island in the St.

Lawrence River, is well known for its local wildlife. Sky Sports F1’s David Croft offered a possible explanation for the incident: “We may not see a replay of the crash because there may have been a marmot involved and that Alex was trying to get out of the way out of one of the local inhabitants. ” That may be one of the more unusual sentences ever broadcast during a Formula 1 practice session.

Whether a marmot actually triggered the crash remains to be confirmed, but it wouldn’t be the first time an animal has caused a moment at this circuit. Albon had been running P9 at the time of the incident, sitting 1. 679 seconds off Piastri’s pace at the top of the timesheets.