Lewis Hamilton went into this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix on a downer following the death of his beloved dog, Roscoe. The popular bulldog has been a regular presence in the paddock in recent years, even making a brief appearance in the F1 movie starring Brad Pitt.

The 12-year-old hound died last Sunday after contracting pneumonia. Speaking ahead of Sunday’s race, Hamilton, 40, said he had been moved by the outpouring of support from his fellow drivers and teams. He said: “It was quite overwhelming to see how many people got in touch and it was so heartwarming to receive those messages. I have not been able to reply to everybody. But, yeah, he was the most important thing of my life, so a very difficult experience.

“I know so many people in the world that have gone through it, and I know what it is like to have a pet that gives you such amazing love. I am really just looking forward to getting back in the car and doing what I love doing here.”

Roscoe’s health had gone downhill since his last appearance in the F1 paddock at July’s British Grand Prix. After he was diagnosed with pneumonia and placed in a coma, Hamilton pulled out of an F1 tyre test to be by his bedside, with Ferrari reserve driver Zhou Guanyu taking his place.

Hamilton later shared a picture of him with his ailing dog, writing: “They managed to get a heartbeat back and now he’s in a coma. We don’t know whether he will wake from this. Tomorrow we’ll try to wake him up. I’m by his side and want to thank you all for your prayers and support.”

However, Hamilton eventually made the “hardest decision of my life” to put him to sleep. Roscoe had become a canine celebrity in his own right, boasting his own Instagram account with an incredible 1.5million followers.

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His bio reads: “I’m a vegan bulldog that loves to travel, play ball and get attention from all the girls, especially when they rub my bum. I like frisbee and tennis.”

Roscoe, whose sibling Coco died in 2020, was switched to a vegan diet that year. Explaining the decision, Hamilton said: “His breathing has always been bad, which meant he was never able to walk very far and his joints would hurt. He also had skin allergies. Three months ago, I decided to transition him to a vegan diet. It has changed his life.

“He now doesn’t have any breathing issues, his throat is no longer restricted and he doesn’t overheat like he did before and he loves to run. He also has no allergy issues. He’s like a puppy again.”

Roscoe was popular with his famous owner’s teams. Following the announcement of his passing on Instagram, Mercedes replied: “We loved you too [heart emoji] we’ll miss you.” He had also become a popular member of Hamilton’s new team, with Ferrari personnel regularly making a fuss of him.

Hamilton is still awaiting his first podium for the Italian team, but when asked if he will be driving in Singapore with a result for Roscoe on his mind, he said: “There are a lot of people that deserve a good result from my side and this team and the tifosi, and the people that have been following me and all the people that have been checking in and being so supportive of us, this whole year, but also in this past week.

“It is in moments like that where you see people show up for you, and that has been overwhelming to see and really well welcomed.”