Groundhogs, feline friends and 'Godzilla’ – F1’s most memorable animal encounters

Formula 1 is many things – the pinnacle of motorsport, a worldwide travelling circus, and even a technological arms race. But every so often, a surprise guest wanders onto the circuit and reminds us that we’re just guests in the natural world.

May is 'Be Kind to Animals Month', so we've rounded up some of the most memorable animal encounters in F1 over the years. From lizards with a strong affinity for the Marina Bay Circuit to the groundhogs that have become the unofficial mascot for the Canadian Grand Prix, here are some of our favourite animals who stole the show during race weekend...

The Canadian groundhogs

Canada's groundhogs have made themselves very much at home at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, with dozens of the furry locals regularly popping up in the grass areas surrounding the track, getting even closer to the action than the ticketholders!

It's quite the lifestyle upgrade for groundhogs over the race weekend. For the other 51 weeks of the year, Ile Notre-Dame – a man-made island – is one of the more peaceful corners of Montreal, a quiet stretch of parkland frequented by joggers, cyclists... and apparently plenty of groundhogs with a taste for motorsport!

The Singapore lizards

Where better to start than with the most famous track invaders of them all – the Singapore lizards. These scaly circuit-crashers have become such a fixture on the Marina Bay street track that drivers have gifted them the nickname 'Godzilla'. Frankly, it's well earned.

The 2024 race weekend provided one of the most memorable moments of them all. With the track marshals in hot pursuit, one particularly rapid lizard put in a shift to set purple sectors of their own.

The Bahrain dog

F1 drivers are a famously dog-loving bunch – walk through any paddock during the season and you're likely to come across one of the drivers’ beloved furry companions. But these devoted dog dads wouldn't hope to find one on a live race circuit...

During the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix weekend, a stray dog managed to find its way onto the track during FP2, bringing the session to a halt with a red flag.

The drivers, however, were rather less panicked, with Sebastian Vettel even breaking into a rendition of Who Let the Dogs Out. Hamilton was understandably a touch more concerned – when his engineer Bono informed him over the radio that there was a dog on track, Hamilton's immediate reply was: "Hope it's not Roscoe" – referring to his beloved late companion.

The Baku cats

If you've ever visited Azerbaijan, you'll know that cats are cherished residents, particularly in Baku – and the F1 paddock is no exception. The furry creatures are often seen roaming around like VIPs, to the delight of drivers – although maybe not track staff!

During the 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, however, there was one particularly adventurous feline that decided the track looked inviting and gave Charles Leclerc a brief scare as it darted out in front of his car. Fortunately, it had the good sense (and speed) to bolt straight back off the circuit again.

And in the 2025 edition of the Grand Prix, another resident stole the show as the Paddock Cat became a social media star in its own right.

The Zandvoort fox

It seems Leclerc has a bit of a habit of attracting unexpected company on track. At the 2025 Dutch Grand Prix, the Ferrari driver had another close encounter during Qualifying, but this time with a fox casually crossing the circuit before disappearing down the escape road.

The dunes surrounding the Zandvoort circuit are natural fox territory, and with the noise and spectacle of an F1 Qualifying session right on their doorstep, who could really blame it for wanting to get up close for a look?

Brave birds

Birds, perhaps unsurprisingly, have very little respect for a Qualifying lap. Over the years, a number of fearless feathered friends have made their presence felt in and around the circuit – and it’s clear that the drivers haven't always known quite what to make of their stunts.

At Zandvoort in 2022, a group of pigeons set up camp on the apex of Turn 7, and despite F1 cars flying past them at close range, they appeared entirely unbothered – George Russell and Alex Albon were less so.

A few years earlier at the 2016 Canadian Grand Prix, Vettel had his reactions tested when some seagulls decided the track was an acceptable place to relax, avoiding the birds with a flick of the steering wheel.

Perhaps the boldest bird of the lot was a francolin bird during Bahrain testing in 2025, who squared up to Esteban Ocon's car in what seemed to be a game of chicken. Spoiler – the bird blinked first...

The Styrian deer

It seems that not every driver needs a moment to compose themselves after a wildlife encounter on track. At the 2001 Austrian Grand Prix, when Juan Pablo Montoya's engineer warned the Colombian over the radio that a deer was on the circuit, his response came with a giggle as he remarked: "Oh deer."

Whether the pit wall appreciated the wordplay quite as much as Montoya did is up for debate, but at least he found himself funny...

The Hungary hare

It's not just F1 that has had its share of unexpected guests either. During a 2022 F2 session at the Hungaroring, a hare found its way onto the circuit – and if there was any doubt about just how quick these animals are, the footage puts that to bed immediately.

The little sprinter kept pace with the cars before eventually diving to safety off track, not before registering what we can only assume was a purple sector. Considering the competition, that's no mean feat.