Lewis Hamilton ‘overwhelmed’ by ‘heartwarming’ support after death of dog Roscoe

Lewis Hamilton says he has been overwhelmed by the “heartwarming” messages of support he received following the death of his beloved dog, Roscoe.

On Monday, Hamilton announced that Roscoe had passed away following a battle with pneumonia.

Roscoe’s passing meant Hamilton missed a Pirelli tyre test at Mugello in order to be by his dog’s side, who fell into a coma while undergoing checks.

A familiar face in the paddock, Roscoe made numerous appearances over the years and became a fan favourite among F1 fans.

Since the announcement, Hamilton has been swamped with messages of support from fellow drivers, teams and fans.

Speaking ahead of this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, Hamilton described Roscoe as “the most important thing” in his life.

“Yeah, lots of messages,” Hamilton told reporters in Singapore on Thursday. “Quite overwhelming to be honest to see just how many people Roscoe touched around the world and really heartwarming to receive.

“I’ve not been able to reply to everybody but it was the most important thing in my life so it was a very difficult experience. 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.”

Hamilton on Singapore chances

Hamilton heads to the Marina Bay Street Circuit still chasing his first F1 podium with Ferrari.

The seven-time world champion finished eighth last time out, narrowly beating teammate Charles Leclerc.

Since the summer break, Hamilton has shown progress but has yet to translate that into headline results.

Assessing his chances this weekend in Singapore, Hamilton said: “It’s difficult to say because this will be the first time driving a Ferrari around Singapore.

“But the car felt really great starting the last grand prix and we just didn’t carry that through the weekend. But as I said there’s been learnings as to why that was and so I think we’ll have a better approach this weekend. And obviously the last week I’ve not had as much time as I’d like with the team but I know they’ve been working very hard back at the factory.

“And we’ve caught up over the last couple of days so I’m feeling optimistic of getting in. I have no clue how quick the others are going to be.

“They’re obviously going to be fast, the Red Bulls very quick and as is the McLarens and Mercedes also. So we’ve got a lot of work to do.”