The animal rights organization PETA reacted after the incident involving Alex Albon, who hit a groundhog during the Canadian Grand Prix weekend, calling on F1 to strengthen wildlife protection measures.
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The Canadian weekend was marked by an unfortunate episode involving Alex Albon, who struck a groundhog during free practice on the Gilles Villeneuve circuit. A collision that had serious consequences for the Williams driver, forced to retire after a violent off-track excursion.
The incident also revived a recurring issue on the track located on Notre-Dame Island, regularly frequented by wild animals such as groundhogs and marmots.
PETA praises the driver’s reaction
In a statement, PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk wanted to highlight Albon’s attempt to avoid the animal, even calling the driver a “moral winner” for his instinctive reaction.
“Alex Albon showed courage and compassion by trying to avoid the groundhog” she said, believing that this type of behavior should be encouraged.
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The organization now calls on the Grand Prix organizers to implement more effective measures to prevent this type of incident in the future, in order to protect both animals and drivers.
A recurring problem in Montreal
The Gilles Villeneuve circuit is known for its frequent interactions with local wildlife. Several similar incidents have already been recorded in the past, some involving drivers like Sebastian Vettel or other narrowly avoided incidents.
Despite this, no lasting solution has yet been put in place to completely prevent animals from accessing the track, a point now raised again by this new stance from PETA.
With this public intervention, the issue of animal safety returns to the center of debates around the Canadian Grand Prix. Between driver safety and protection of local wildlife, organizers may be forced to review their measures in upcoming editions.
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