Lewis Hamilton thanked the F1 paddock and fans for the “overwhelming” support after the passing of his bulldog Roscoe

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images

Lewis Hamilton has spoken out about the “overwhelming” support he has received from the Formula 1 paddock and fans following the passing of his beloved bulldog, Roscoe.

After revealing that Roscoe had been hospitalised at the end of last week, Hamilton confirmed that he had sadly passed on Sunday 28 September. “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,” the seven-time champion shared at the time. “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.”

Hamilton received messages of support from many of the other drivers on the grid, as well as the teams, the FIA, and F1 itself, which he has described as “heartwarming to receive”.

“Yeah, lots of messages. Quite overwhelming, to be honest, to see just how many people Roscoe touched around the world, and really heartwarming to receive,” Hamilton explained to the media ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix. “I’ve not been able to reply to everybody, but he was the most important thing in my life, so it was a very difficult experience.

“And I know so many people in the world have gone through it and know what it’s like to have a pet that gives you such amazing love, and it’s an amazing experience. But I’m really just looking forward to now just getting back in the car and doing what I love doing here.”

When pressed on whether he was aiming for a good result for Roscoe this weekend at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, the Briton added: “I think there’s a lot of people that deserve a good result from my side and this team, the tifosi and the people that have been following me and all the people, as I said, that have been checking in and been so supportive over this past whole year, but also particularly this past week.

“I think it’s in moments like that where you really see people show up for you. And that’s been, as I said, really overwhelming to see and really well welcomed.”

Photos from Singapore GP – Thursday