Scuderia Ferrari Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton’s bulldog, Roscoe, enjoys a celebrity status with a fan following exceeding 1.3 million on Instagram. He has also appeared in commercials and in the recently released F1 movie.
Hamilton adopted Roscoe in 2013, the same year he joined Mercedes, before going on to secure six world titles and play a key role in the team’s eight Constructors’ Championships over the following 12 years.
Roscoe accompanied the seven-time world champion at Grand Prix venues, stealing the limelight as he became one of F1’s most loved stars. His Instagram profile features some adorable and hilarious updates of him, often accompanied by Hamilton himself, which boosted his popularity. Shared below is a post of Roscoe’s first trip to the Ferrari garage:
Hamilton shifted Roscoe to a vegan diet in 2020 in a bid to improve his health. Sadly, Roscoe slipped into a coma yesterday after doctors got his heart beating again. The 12-year-old dog is suffering from pneumonia. Hamilton revealed in a post today that it is uncertain if Roscoe will wake up again. Newsweek Sports reported his comments:
“Please keep Roscoe in your thoughts. I want to keep you all updated. Roscoe caught pneumonia again and was struggling to breathe. He was admitted into hospital and sedated to calm him while they did checks on him and during the process his heart stopped.
“They managed to get a heartbeat back and now he’s in a coma. We don’t know whether he will wake from this. Tomorrow we’ll try to wake him up. I’m by his side and want to thank you all for your prayers and support.”
Roscoe suffered from pneumonia in May this year, ahead of the F1 race at Imola. When Hamilton was asked about his condition back then, he said:
“He’s doing quite well now. He’s 12-and-a-half years old, so he’s an old boy. He had pneumonia, but he’s fine now fortunately.
“But definitely, this is a time where every time I get a text message from the lady that’s looking after him my heart stops for a second because I’m like: ‘What’s next?’
“I really want to try and bring him to Silverstone, and particularly to Monza, this year. Get him a red cape.
“It’s unusual for a bulldog to be as old as he is. I was with him before Miami and he still wants to play. Still got that kind of youthful spirit. He does like to sleep a lot.”