LEWIS HAMILTON held back tears as he described the outpouring of love following the death of his dog Roscoe as “overwhelming”.
The Brit was making his first Formula One paddock appearance since announcing Roscoe had died in his arms on Sunday evening after the 12-year-old caught pneumonia for the second time this year.
X formerly Twitter / @SkySportsF1Lewis Hamilton held back tears as he spoke about the outpouring of love following the death of his dog Roscoe[/caption]
GettyThe 12-year-old pooch died in Hamilton’s arms on Sunday after a battle with pneumonia[/caption]
Roscoe, who Hamilton adopted in 2013, was a regular sight at F1 events after being given a lifetime pass and had grown to be a real fan favourite alongside the seven-time world champion.
Following the tragic news, there was a huge outpouring of love for Hamilton and Roscoe’s trainer Kristin McMillan – whom the 40-year-old gave a special shoutout to for helping Roscoe live such a long and happy life.
During media duties at the Singapore Grand Prix, Hamilton opened up on the “difficult experience” of dealing with his loss and spoke about the amazing reaction from the F1 community.
He said: “[I’ve received] Lots of messages. [It’s been] 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.
“It 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’s just that gives you such amazing love, and it’s an amazing experience.
“I’m really just looking forward to now just getting back in the car and doing what I love doing here.”
Hamilton also told Sky Sports: “I read somewhere that grief is the last act of love. And I’m definitely feeling that.”
The Ferrari driver, who is yet to score a full race podium since joining the team this season, added he felt “positive” going into the race after feeling better in the car since the summer break.
Team-mate Charles Leclerc explained the Ferrari car tended to perform better in warmer climates, and echoed Hamilton’s hope of an improved showing from the Scuderia.
This weekend’s grand prix in Singapore has been declared as F1’s first ever “heat hazard” race.
The FIA made the ruling after a weather forecast predicted temperatures to climb as high as 31C.
Singapore is widely regarded as one of the most physically taxing races on the entire F1 calendar, with drivers losing 2-3kg through sweat alone.
To combat the extreme conditions, drivers will have the option of using cooling vests.
They will be fitted into each driver’s car as standard, although any driver who opts out will need to make up the weight loss to ensure they do not have an unfair advantage by running a lighter car.
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