By Lucy Norris

Copyright hellomagazine

Lewis Hamilton shared a heartbreaking post to his social media outlining his pet bulldog Roscoe’s recent health issues and pleaded with fans for “prayers and support”. The 40-year-old Formula 1 race car driver explained that his pet had caught pneumonia for the second time this year and was in a coma after his heart stopped. Lewis’s dog is a regular at the race track, travelling with the star all over the world as he competes on various circuits. Uploading a selfie with the 12-year-old bulldog who was hooked up to machines on a hospital bed, the Ferrari driver looked broken as he asked his followers for help.

Alongside three images, Lewis typed: “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.” He added: “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.”

Resting his head on the table beside his pet, Lewis was visibly upset, clearly shown in the collection of photos. The sports star could be seen wrapping his arms around Roscoe and kissing his head as he lay unconscious on the bed, with various tubes and monitors attached to him. A third picture saw Lewis place his distinctively tattooed hand on Roscoe’s head.

Fans flocked to the comment section to express their well-wishes and sympathy for Lewis and his dog. One said: “Get well soon Roscoe, you’re strong, little man,” with a string of red love hearts, while another penned: “sending hugs and well wishes to Roscoe”. One more follower added: “Sending all our love, prayers and strength to you and your precious Roscoe.”

A racing driver’s best friend

The seven-time world champion documents his dog’s adventures and life on his own social media accounts and a dedicated Roscoe page that has garnered over one million followers on Instagram. He regularly shows up to red carpet events with his famous pooch, who has become known in his own right.

Speaking about his pet’s lifestyle in the past, Lewis revealed he had changed Roscoe’s diet to be more plant-based in an effort to improve his health. He told People magazine: “He always had health issues and would struggle with things like his breathing and his walking. I wanted to see if there was anything I could do to help him, so I did some research into things that might improve his health.”