“My heart stops for a second because I’m like, what’s next”: Lewis Hamilton gets emotional while talking about his pet Roscoe’s pneumonia battle
Lewis Hamilton opened up about the emotional toll of watching his beloved dog Roscoe battle pneumonia. The seven-time world champion gave a candid account of the fear and uncertainty involved in caring for an aging pet.
Roscoe, a bulldog adopted by Hamilton in 2013, has accompanied the Brit to numerous races and has an Instagram handle with 1.2 million followers. English Bulldogs typically have a lifespan of over eight to 10 years, and at nearly 13, Roscoe has struggled with health issues, including a recent bout with pneumonia.
Roscoe's trainer, Kirstin McMillan, recently shared an important health update on the bulldog, highlighting that the pet has begun sleeping on his back, something he couldn't do since catching pneumonia.
Speaking ahead of the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix at Imola, Hamilton provided an update on Roscoe's recovery.
"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," Lewis Hamilton said via RacingNews365.
"It's unusual for a Bulldog to be as old as he is. But I was with him before Miami, and he still wants to play. He's still got that kind of youthful spirit. He does like to sleep a lot," he added.
Lewis Hamilton recently spent some quality time with Roscoe and marked the moment with a heartwarming post on the dog’s official Instagram page. The post was captioned:
"Time’s well’s spent’s with’s dad’s 🫂"
That said, just days ahead of the Imola GP, Hamilton shocked fans when he unfollowed everyone on Instagram, including his pet Roscoe. It mirrored a similar move he pulled off back in 2022.
"I’ve never experienced that before": Lewis Hamilton rues brake issues plaguing his Free Practice at Imola
Lewis Hamilton lamented a torrid affair at Imola after persistent brake-related issues left him outside the top 10 in FP2. The Ferrari driver has succumbed to several mechanical gremlins, leaving him prone to setbacks in his six starts this season.
While he began the weekend with a fifth-place finish in FP1, the Ferrari ace kept complaining over the team radio about the brakes holding him back. The issue seemed to have worsened as he slipped further back in the next session.
Reflecting on the same, Hamilton spoke to the media and acknowledged that the brake issue has been a recurring theme throughout the season.
"We had some brake issues that made a massive difference. That was all, then a fight with that. That's been a problem. That's been quite a big issue all year, actually. So I’ve never experienced that before. That’s a new thing this year,” he said [0:22 onwards].
Lewis Hamilton is yet to place higher than the Ferrari frontman Charles Leclerc. The 40-year-old saw a glimmer of hope with a third-place result in the Miami Sprint last weekend, but couldn't maintain the momentum as he exited Q2 for the main race, a first in his stint with Ferrari.
Sunday's race further demoralised the Brit, as he bemoaned poor team strategy over position swaps with Leclerc. He ultimately finished a minute behind race winner, Oscar Piastri, further underscoring the scarlet team's lack of pace.