Formula 1 News: Hamilton misses Ferrari test as Verstappen wins in Ferrari
(GMM) Lewis Hamilton’s (pictured with his sick dog Roscoe) difficult first season with Ferrari has been contrasted with Max Verstappen’s dream GT3 debut weekend in a Ferrari at the Nurburgring.
While the Dutchman stormed to a 24-second victory at the Nordschleife in a Ferrari GT3, Hamilton stayed home to keep vigil for his sick bulldog Roscoe – who he revealed on Instagram is in a coma with pneumonia.
As a result, the seven-time champion missed Ferrari’s Pirelli 2026 tire test at Mugello, where he was replaced by Guanyu Zhou alongside Charles Leclerc.
“It’s a humiliation,” Cologne tabloid Express headlined. “Verstappen is more likely to win in the Ferrari than Hamilton.”
Italy’s Corriere della Sera reported: “Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton announced on Instagram that his beloved 12-year-old bulldog is in a coma due to the effects of a new bout of pneumonia.
“He will miss a Pirelli test with Ferrari.”
Former driver Marc Surer told Austrian magazine Vollgas he has been surprised by Hamilton’s struggles in red. “I thought he would continue to shine thanks to his experience. But that’s not happening,” said the 74-year-old.
“Lewis Hamilton is simply a spoiled brat who has always driven the best cars. If the car suits him, he wins easily. But as soon as he doesn’t have the fastest car, they get into trouble.”
Surer compared Hamilton with Fernando Alonso, who he says “can live with compromises and get the most out of every car”.
He added that Hamilton’s struggles are not entirely unexpected given his recent record. “He’s already had a tough time alongside George Russell these past two years.
“Now at Ferrari, he has a super-fast teammate in Charles Leclerc.”