Lewis Hamilton mourns as bulldog and F1 social media star Roscoe dies

Seven-time Formula One (F1) world champion Lewis Hamilton on Sept 29 announced the death of his English bulldog Roscoe, who was often seen with him in the paddock over the years.

In an emotional tribute on Instagram, the Ferrari driver said: "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 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."

The 12-year-old died from pneumonia on Sept 28.

A paddock regular, he was adopted by Hamilton in 2013 and soon became a fan favourite and social media celebrity.

The pair had become inseparable since the British racer adopted him when he was about eight weeks old.

Roscoe's Instagram account, roscoelovescoco, which also featured Hamilton's other late bulldog Coco, had amassed over 1.4 million followers. Coco died on July 18, 2020.

In his Instagram post, Hamilton shared about the pains of having to put down a pet, calling it "one of the most painful experiences". The post received over 2.5 million likes in an hour.

His announcement comes just three days after he revealed that he would be missing the Ferrari fashion show in Milan on Sept 27 due to the Roscoe's ill health.

He had also earlier pulled out of the Pirelli tyre test at Italy's Mugello track on Sept 26 to spend time with Roscoe, who was in a coma.

In an earlier update on Instagram on Sept 26, Hamilton said that Roscoe had been struggling to breathe and was admitted to the hospital for checks. However, his heart stopped during the process.

While they were able to get a heartbeat, Roscoe had fallen into a coma.

Tributes for the paddock celebrity pet have since poured in on Sept 29 from other F1 teams, professionals in the motorsport industry and fans.

"Rest in Peace Roscoe Hamilton, a true star in his own right," F1 said on its official X account.

"Lewis Hamilton's beloved Roscoe brought smiles to the paddock and warmed the hearts of fans all over the world. Our thoughts are with Lewis during this difficult time."

F1 presenter Laura Winter said: "Just so sorry for your loss. Roscoe will be greatly missed. Much love and strength."

Hamilton had previously expressed his wishes to bring Roscoe to races during his first season as a Ferrari driver. Roscoe's last appearance in an F1 paddock was at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone in July 2025.

In May 2025, Hamilton had spoken about his anxiety about his dog's health and how long he might have left.