# Motorsport: Williams driver Alex Albon was ruled out of Canadian Grand Prix sprint qualifying on Friday after hitting a groundhog in the sole practice session and crashing his car. His team said despite best efforts to repair the car, the damage was far more extensive than originally thought, requiring the gearbox and power unit to be replaced. The Thai driver is a big animal lover with an Albon Pets Instagram page featuring his family cats, horses and dogs.
Meanwhile George Russell of Mercedes and his team mate and championship leader Kimi Antonelli are on the front row for the sprint race later today. The two McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are third and fourth respectively, with Ferrari’s seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton fifth, next to his teammate Charles Leclerc.