THROWBACK: When Sergio Perez Pretended to Kidnap Lewis Hamilton’s Beloved Dog Roscoe

Lewis Hamilton shares an affectionate bond with his dog, Roscoe, to say the least. Having adopted the British bulldog in 2013, the seven-time world champion shares several posts with him on social media regularly. In fact, Roscoe has his own social media presence, with his Instagram account having more than 300k followers.

Roscoe isn’t often a victim of F1 drivers when pulling pranks. However, F1’s resident Mexican Sergio Perez pulled one off with the British bulldog years ago. Given the intense ongoing rivalry between Red Bull and Mercedes this season, fans resurfaced one of Perez’s tweets from the archives.

Sergio Perez tags Lewis Hamilton in a six-year-old tweet after taking Roscoe

Hamilton began the 2015 F1 season as a two-time world champion after clinching his second title in 2014. During the season, he faced intense competition from his teammate Nico Rosberg for the title, with Mercedes asserting their authority in the hybrid era.

Since getting Roscoe, the Briton got a passport for his dog, which meant he accompanied him for race weekends. Ahead of his home race in Silverstone in 2015, however, Perez pulled a comical yet unlikely prank on Hamilton – he kidnapped Roscoe!

In a picture posted by the Mexican on Twitter, he had Roscoe sitting in his car. Along with the picture, he wrote, “@LewisHamilton say good bye to Roscoe jaja!”

While they are much closer rivals today, moments from the archive like these often remind fans that F1 drivers share a relationship with different dynamics off the track.

Hamilton won the British Grand Prix, and the title that year, with Rosberg finishing second. Perez, who raced for Force India at the time, finished ninth to bring points for the Indian outfit.

READ MORE: How Much Does Lewis Hamilton’s Dog Make? The Figures Will Blow Your Mind

Can Hamilton secure an eighth title this year?

Although Hamilton faced less threatening competition in recent years, Max Verstappen looks much more of a threat this year. In fact, the Dutchman looks more likely to derail the Briton’s quest of securing a record-breaking eighth world championship.

Hamilton holds a slender lead of eight points on Verstappen, with the sport now on its summer break. With the season resuming in Belgium at the end of the month, expect the Orange Army to return in scores to cheer Verstappen. Can Hamilton hold off his Dutch rival in the 12 races that remain?

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