Max Verstappen gives subtle warning to Lewis Hamilton over F1 paddock not being good for dogs

With Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton both being pet parents, the former advised Hamilton over not bringing Roscoe to the paddock.

Max Verstappen gives subtle warning to Lewis Hamilton over F1 paddock not being good for dogs

Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton and Roscoe, images via IMAGO

While the F1 world usually revolves around the prolific racing drivers, Max Verstappen has sparked a different discussion. Lewis Hamilton is often spotted alongside his dog Roscoe in the paddock. However, the reigning champion has warned that the paddock atmosphere is not good for dogs, including Hamilton’s bulldog Roscoe.

Most of the F1 drivers are pet parents. Max Verstappen has two Bengal cats, while Alex Albon has an array of pets ranging from dogs to even horses! However, the pet that is often the center of attraction in the paddock is Roscoe. Lewis Hamilton‘s beloved dog, who he adopted in 2013 has travelled around the world for quite a while.

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Despite Hamilton’s strict diet regime for his pet, Roscoe suffered health problems in 2024. Moreover, with everyone wanting to play with the 11-year-old dog in the paddock, it could be tiresome and stressful for him as Verstappen explained.

No, even if I would have a dog, I wouldn’t want the dog to come here [in the F1 paddock] because it’s very stressful. Everyone wanting to touch him, it’s not nice for a dog.

Max Verstappen via an interview

On the other hand, the 39-year-old and Roscoe would be preparing to move to Maranello. The seven-time champion would make his debut at Ferrari soon and is supposed to get behind the wheel of one by the latter end of January.

Red Bull losing the constructors’ title: A boon or a bane?

With Red Bull finishing third in the constructors’ championship in the 2024 season, people blamed the team for keeping on the now-sacked Sergio Perez for too long. The Mexican admitted his role in the whole saga, but this result could be holding a lot more than it appears on the surface.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen speaking (via Total Motorsport)
Max Verstappen speaking (via Total Motorsport)

In 2021, the Aerodynamic Testing Allowance system was put up by the FIA. According to this, the team that finished the previous season as the champion would only receive 70 percent of the baseline allowance.

So, Red Bull would receive an 80 percent allowance in the early half of 2025. Meaning that the team would have more resources to rep up for the 2026 regulations reset, which even the 27-year-old acknowledged.

We have, I guess, a positive. We won the drivers’, didn’t win the constructors’, so we gained a bit of wind tunnel time, in a way, maybe that’s positive.

Max Verstappen said (via GPBlog)

However, other teams would also like to pool in the majority of the resources for the reset in 2026. Thus, making the importance of efficient use of allocated resources crucial in the fight for the biggest regulations change in F1 history.