PETA statement re F1 driver Alex Albon hitting marmot

For Immediate Release:
May 23, 2026

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Please see the following statement from PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk in response to F1 driver Alex Albon’s crash after trying to avoid hitting a marmot on the track, causing him to forfeit the race:

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. 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 organizers to implement stronger deterrent measures to protect the animals who call these areas home and the drivers themselves.

Newkirk is a decades-long F1 enthusiast. While attending qualifying at Estoril in 1996, she found an injured dog who had been struck a day earlier and was badly wounded. Many F1 drivers have shown great kindness, including Michael Schumacher, a PETA supporter who helped finance animal rescues during Hurricane Katrina. He adopted a starving dog he and Corinna found next to the track in Sao Paolo and named him “Flea.” And many drivers have signed pledges against force-feeding ducks for foie gras.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any other way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. PETA’s free vegan starter kit is filled with tips to help anyone looking to make the switch. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.