On Sunday, for the first time in 12 years, Lewis Hamilton will race without the unconditional love of a furry friend and a cuddle to look forward to.
In Singapore, surrounded by fans, engineers, and photographers, Hamilton would be forgiven for feeling alone.
Losing a pet is one of the hardest experiences somebody can go through, an experience those who have never had pets may not understand.
For Hamilton, without his beloved English bulldog Roscoe, who often charmed the grid with his cuteness, attentiveness, and nonchalance to the world’s eyes being upon him, there may be a sense of emptiness. Hamilton had to have him put down late last Sunday.
One comfort may be how much joy Roscoe brought to Formula One. Whether in his interactions around the world, or on Instagram, where he has more than 1.5 million followers and counting – more than some drivers – Roscoe had a talent for putting a smile on people’s faces.
Exploring Roscoe’s dedicated Instagram page, you see just how much he meant to Hamilton.
Lewis Hamilton is facing a Formula One GP without his beloved dog Roscoe for the first time since 2013
The Ferrari star shared the tragic news that he had to have Roscoe put down last Sunday
Roscoe was Hamilton’s loyal companion around the world, including at Formula One races
Birthday parties, rural wanders, paddleboarding on a lake, hangouts with other dogs, beach trips, walks around the paddock, skateboard ventures, trips to the Mercedes office – Roscoe and Hamilton were hard to separate.
Hamilton will race in the Singapore GP this weekend, a track which has treated him kindly enough down the years with four wins, the most recent of those in 2018.
It comes at an important juncture for Ferrari, who are just four points behind second-placed Mercedes in the Constructors’ Championships, and an even more significant one for Hamilton.
How one responds to grief often defines the future. Hamilton has been here before. In June 2020, his other bulldog Coco passed away not long before the season began.
Just two weeks later, at the first race back in Austria, Hamilton finished fourth. Then he won three races in a row. Indeed, throughout the season, the Brit won 11 of the 16 Grands Prix he was eligible for and stormed to the title by 124 points.
The parameters for success in a struggling Ferrari are different this time, but the goal for Hamilton the same: honour the memory of his pet as much as he can, and restore regular performance as quickly as possible.
Life after Roscoe will look very different. Where he could, Hamilton would take his dog around the world with him for his various races and life adventures.
He was popular in the stands – fans would sometimes bring cardboard cut-outs of Roscoe’s face, and you can bet that will be the case this weekend.
The English bulldog often hung out with furry friends and posed for photos with them
Hamilton had his dog on a vegan diet in a bid to try and improve his health in his later years
Roscoe was an entertaining presence around the paddock, and Hamilton made time for him
At Silverstone earlier this year, Roscoe took his last paddock walk and Hamilton presented him on the main stage to an excited crowd after the race. Roscoe looked characteristically nonchalant.
His temperament drew Hamilton to him.
‘I think he was eight weeks old when I got him, and he was just the easiest dog,’ Hamilton once said on an episode of Hot Ones. ‘He never chewed anything. He was just chill from the get-go.’
The emotion in Hamilton’s tribute shows how much Roscoe meant to him, and how seismic a change his life has seen.
‘After four days on life support, fighting with every bit of strength he had, I had to make the hardest decision of my life and say goodbye to Roscoe,’ he wrote on Instagram.
‘He never stopped fighting, right until the very end. I feel so grateful and honoured to have shared my life with such a beautiful soul, an angel and true friend.
‘Bringing Roscoe into my life was the best decision I ever made, and I will forever cherish the memories we created together. Although I lost Coco, I have never been faced with putting a dog to sleep before, though I know my mum and many close friends have.
‘It is one of the most painful experiences and I feel a deep connection to everyone who has gone through the loss of a beloved pet. Although it was so hard, having him was one of the most beautiful parts of life, to love so deeply and to be loved in return.
Such was Roscoe’s popularity that fans would pay tribute to him in the stands
‘Can I drive?’ Roscoe often got a front-row view of the inner workings of Mercedes and Ferrari
‘Thank you all for the love and support you’ve shown Roscoe over the years. It has been so special to witness and feel. He died on Sunday evening, 28th September in my arms.’
Roscoe lived a unique life, and not just through being the pet of a global superstar. In his later years, Hamilton kept him on a strictly vegan diet – a hard sell to most dogs – to try and improve his health.
‘He always had health issues and would struggle with things like his breathing and his walking,’ the Ferrari driver explained to People.com.
‘I saw that having a plant–based diet was something that could be helpful as long as you were making sure the dog was getting all its nutritional needs met, so I decided to try it.’
From the Instagram output on his account, roscoelovescoco, the vegan diet looked to go down a treat. One video shows him chomping on some leafy greens; one photo expectantly waiting for a vegan birthday cake. Animal welfare researchers have warned that dogs may not ‘thrive’ on a vegan diet, but Roscoe looked to enjoy himself all the same.
Roscoe’s health took a downturn last week, when Hamilton revealed that he had been put in an induced coma in hospital. Back in April it was revealed that he had been struck down with pneumonia.
And Hamilton paid tribute to an ‘amazing friend’, Kristin McMillan, who looked after both Roscoe and Hamilton’s other bulldog Coco, who died in 2020, for much of their lives.
‘I want you to take time to uplift my amazing friend Kirstin,’ Hamilton implored of his 41.2million followers. ‘She trained both Roscoe and Coco and treated them like family.
Roscoe also acted as a workout buddy for Hamilton, who is racing into his 40s
He was popular with other drivers on the grid (pictured with Williams star Alex Albon)
Hamilton paid tribute to Kirstin McMillan’s work and support of both Roscoe and his other bulldog Coco
Living life to the full: Roscoe enjoyed a good beach trip and making paw prints in the sand
‘She helped look after their health and it is really through her that Roscoe lived so long.
‘While I was travelling, she would take care of him and loved him as if he was hers. She was there every day, all day. Even with a family and other dogs to look after, she never missed a day.
‘We stood together when letting Roscoe go. I am so grateful to have had her in my life and Roscoe’s life. There is nobody like you Kirstin. Thank you.’
Hamilton stepped up the frequency of Roscoe’s F1 trips in his later years, aware that he may not have long left with his best friend.
‘I try to take him to as many as possible, because Roscoe’s getting old,’ he said. ‘And I don’t know how long I’ll have him around. So, I’m trying to keep him with me everywhere.’
It was a life lived to the full, and one Roscoe was likely very grateful for.
