FERRARI Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton announced the death of his bulldog Roscoe in an emotional social media post on Monday.
The seven-time world champion paid tribute to a pet with a huge following of its own.
Hamilton missed a Pirelli tyre test in Italy and an event at Milan Fashion Week last week after his 12-year-old dog caught pneumonia.
The bulldog was placed in a coma during his illness.
Hamilton revealed that Roscoe was put to sleep on Sunday while in his arms.
“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,“ Hamilton told his 40.9 million Instagram followers.
The bulldog had his own Instagram following of 1.4 million fans.
“Bringing Roscoe into my life was the best decision I ever made, and I will forever cherish the memories we created together,“ Hamilton added.
Roscoe accompanied his vegan owner through six championship seasons with Mercedes.
The pet attended races with his own paddock pass and travelled by private jet.
Hamilton’s other dog Coco died in 2020.
The British driver races in Singapore this week while still chasing his first podium with Ferrari.
Hamilton joined the Italian team in January this year.
Formula One’s official X feed, with 11.6 million followers, hailed Roscoe as “a true star in his own right”.
“Lewis Hamilton’s beloved Roscoe brought smiles to the paddock and warmed the hearts of fans all over the world,“ the official feed stated. – Reuters