F1 star hailed by PETA as 'a winner' after collision which killed animal at Canadian Grand Prix

Canadian Grand Prix

F1 star hailed by PETA as 'a winner' after collision which killed animal at Canadian Grand Prix

Albon hit a marmot during practice on Friday

Graham Shaw Consultant Editor

Digital sports specialist running global brands for 30 years

Saturday 23 May 2026 13:55 Updated: 14:45

F1 star Alex Albon has been hailed as "a winner" by animal rights group PETA after his collision with a groundhog at the Canadian Grand Prix.

Albon, driving for Williams in Free Practice 1 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, swerved in a desperate bid to avoid the marmot as it ran into his path and subsequently crashed heavily into a wall.

That put the 30-year-old British-Thai star out of the session, and out of the subsequent sprint qualifying which followed some three hours later. His team had been unable to repair the extensive damage in time for him to return to the track.

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A team statement read: "Following the incident in FP1 involving wildlife on track, Alex will not run in this afternoon’s sprint qualifying session.

"Despite the best efforts of the team to repair the car, the damage sustained was far more extensive than originally thought, requiring the gearbox and PU to be replaced. It’s unlucky for Alex, but we’ll look to take all the learnings from Carlos’ side of the garage to be as prepared as possible for tomorrow’s sessions."

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Traumatic moment for Williams star Albon

It was a traumatic moment for Albon which had fatal consequences for the marmot and severely impacted his own grand prix weekend. It is the latest in a long line of similar incidents at the Montreal race, with wildlife often seen close to or on the actual circuit.

Albon is already well known to F1 fans for his love of animals - an Instagram dedicated to his family's pets has more than 400,000 followers. He was clearly upset by Friday's events as Williams team principal James Vowles revealed: "Back in the garage, he's more worried about his mum, but suspects he's going to have to pay to adopt a family of marmots, because that is a consequence of that."

Albon is well known for his love of animals.

PETA praise for 'winner' Albon

In the aftermath of the tragedy, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) came out in support of Albon, praising his bid to avoid killing the defenceless marmot in his path.

Founder Ingrid Newkirk said Albon is just the latest F1 driver to have shown real kindness to animals, referencing the day in 1996 when PETA supporter Michael Schumacher adopted a starving dog he found next to the track at Interlagos in Brazil.

She told GPFans: "Alex Albon's decision to swerve to try to miss hitting a marmot on the track makes him a winner. Showing both courage and compassion, he made the split-second choice to value the life of a vulnerable animal, and that wins him a place on the PETA podium."

Newkirk also called on event organisers to look at implementing measures aimed at avoiding further such incidents in the future.

"Other species don't understand racetracks or fast-moving cars - they're simply trying to go about their lives. PETA hopes this incident will prompt organisers to implement stronger deterrent measures to protect the animals who call these areas home and the drivers themselves.”

F1 Williams Canadian Grand Prix Alex Albon