18/10/2022 14:45
Motorsport drivers are some of the fittest athletes on the planet – requiring strength, determination and skill to succeed.
Behind every successful athlete, there’s often an army of fans cheering them on. Here, we take a look at some famous motorsport legends who have the backing of their dedicated doggos too!
Lewis Hamilton and his pet Roscoe are best buds – with the English Bulldog rarely missing one of his owner’s races. Earlier this year Roscoe was seen chilling out in the Mercedes’ hospitality area at the Silverstone Grand Prix!
Roscoe even has his own Instagram account, with over 650K followers! It has been reported that he can earn up to $700 a day for his modelling shoots... that’s a lot of dog treats!
It’s rumoured that Sebastian Vettel has a pet dog called Bruno; however, the German champ isn’t particularly active on social media, so it’s hard to keep track!
Vettel admitted giving F1 rival Lewis Hamilton a present for his dog Roscoe before the Bahrain Grand Prix back in 2015. It turned out to be a squeaky toy... which kept Hamilton up the night before the race!
Verstappen has always been an animal lover, having been brought up in a household with five cats, four dogs and a bird!
Max’s beloved Dachshund Spyke who often accompanied him on trips away, sadly died in 2020. Forever the pet lover, Max has since adopted a collection of cats, who sometimes accompany him on his travels.
A Miniature Dachshund much like Max Verstappen’s dog Spyke
Finnish F1 legend Kimi Raikkonen used to have a German Shepherd named Ajax, who sadly passed away a few years ago. Although we haven’t seen any evidence of him owning a dog since, his dog-loving nature was captured by onlookers earlier this year. In July, whilst holidaying with his family in Tuscany, Raikkonen spotted a dog trapped in a hot car and leant in through the window to offer the pooch a cool drink.
Check out our guide on how to rescue a dog left in a hot car for further tips.
A German Shepherd, similar to Kimi Raikkonen's dog Ajax
British racing duo and stars of our W Series Team Click2Drive Bristol Street Motors, Alice Powell and Jessica Hawkins both have the backing of their pawfect pooches, Cookie and Riley.
Of course, Alice and Jessica also have the support of the adorable Bristol Street Motors mascot Bea, who accompanied the team on many of their W Series endeavours this season!
Alice Powell and Jessica Hawkins with their lucky mascot Bea
2022 BTCC Champion Tom Ingram has a beautiful Labrador called Yuri who supported him throughout the last season... which turned out to be Tom’s best yet! Tom has been in contention for the BTCC title for six successive seasons and finally made it his own with a masterclass finale at Brands Hatch in early October.
Ingram’s teammate Tom Chilton also had a successful 2022 BTCC season, powered by the backing of his delightful Miniature Dachshund Raffy. With some excellent battles produced on the circuits, we’re sure Raffy was as proud as Tom as we were!
So, there you have it – an insight into the pooches that have cheered on these motorsport champions! Got a dog of your own, and need a car that they’ll love as much as you? Check out our top cars for dog owners.