The paddock grew somber when Lewis Hamilton announced the passing of Roscoe, his 12 year old British bulldog. The 7 time world champion has often shared glimpses of Roscoe’s personality for years and was emotional speaking to the media before the Singapore weekend.
Hamilton confirmed Roscoe’s passing on September 28 after contracting pneumonia and spending 4 days on life support. He announced it on social media saying saying goodbye to Roscoe was “the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.” They had been together for 12 years and Roscoe was a regular in the paddock.
He shared that he was grateful for all the love he received from around the world.
“Yeah, lots of messages, quite overwhelming to be honest, to see just how many people Roscoe touched around the world, and really heart-warming to receive. I’ve not been able to reply to everybody, but yeah, it was the most important thing in my life, so it was a very difficult experience.”
He went on to speak about the shared nature of grief among pet owners and how it has helped him stay grounded through an emotionally turbulent week.
“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, it’s an amazing experience. But yeah, I’m really just looking forward to now, just getting back in the car and doing what I love doing here.”
Hamilton admitted a lot of people deserve a good result from his side
Similar to Hamilton, Roscoe was a vegan and was an icon in F1 circles. After Roscoe’s passing, tributes began to flow in from fans, teams, and drivers. A Lego artist made a portrait of Roscoe that touched Hamilton, and he shared it on his social media channels.
When asked if he wanted to put in a good result for Roscoe, Hamilton said it was not only Roscoe and mentioned all of the support he has received and how it has kept him focused on racing and his bigger purpose.
“I think there’s a lot of people that deserve a good result from my side. This team, the Tifosi and the people that have been following me, and all the people, as I said, 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. Really well welcomed.”
Hamilton is still chasing his first podium with the Scuderia, hoping to keep alive his record of scoring at least one podium in every season of his F1 career. He came close earlier this year at Imola, finishing fourth, his best result of the season so far. With six races remaining after Singapore, the 40-year-old looks more determined than ever to make it happen.
Hamilton speaks on his commitment on inclusivity
October is the Black History Month and Hamilton once again reaffirmed his commitment to making the sport a better place. He continues to use Mission 44, the foundation he launched in 2021, to challenge societal barriers and create access for young people from under-represented backgrounds.
Mission 44 currently supports 43 organisations across the UK seeking to address issues from education inequality to lack of access in STEM and motorsport careers.
Hamilton mentioned that he invited Mercedes junior Kenzo Craigie, the 2024 Karting Champion, to the US GP in Austin in 2024. Craigie attended the event with his family. Hamilton let the young brit to have a seat in his W15 and took him for a lap around COTA.
He stressed the need for continued dialogue around diversity and inclusion within F1, warning that progress can quickly fade if not consistently prioritised.
“So, still a huge amount of work that needs to be done, if it’s not spoken about, if it’s not continuously brought up as a topic, it tends to fall aside, and the sport continues to fall back into its old normal ways. So, lots of work needs to continue to happen, access is still important, inclusivity still is really important that we cannot neglect. I think if you go around the paddock now, there has been progress, but there still needs to be a lot more.”
“Yeah, just got to keep working at it.”
Despite his grief, Hamilton remains focused on honouring those who have supported him by channelling his energy back into racing and advocacy. He plans to bring young people through Mission 44 to races at Austin and Brazil, continuing the work of creating visibility and access for the next generation of Black motorsport professionals.
