Lewis Hamilton pulls out of F1 tyre testing to be by the side of his unwell dog

Lewis Hamilton has withdrawn from a Formula One tyre test after he revealed his pet dog was in a coma.

The seven-time world champion, 40, had been scheduled to complete a test for Pirelli in Mugello on Friday, but he was replaced by Ferrari’s reserve driver Zhou Guanyu.

Hamilton said his 12-year-old dog Roscoe’s heart stopped beating after he caught pneumonia.

In a post on Instagram, Hamilton said of the bulldog: “Please keep Roscoe in your thoughts. I want to keep you all updated.

“Roscoe caught pneumonia again and was struggling to breathe. He was admitted into hospital and sedated to calm him while they did checks on him and during the process his heart stopped.

“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.”

Hamilton has taken Roscoe, who he adopted in 2013, to a number of races throughout his career.

Hamilton, who finished eighth in Azerbaijan last Sunday, is due to return to his Ferrari cockpit at next weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix.