Lewis Hamilton's bulldog to be part of his pit crew

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton will have will have a new member among his touring crew - his bulldog! According to a report in The Guardian, Hamilton had applied for a permanent pass for 'Roscoe'.

The pass will allow Hamilton to take his dog into the paddock behind the pits as opposed to leaving him at a local hotel on every race weekend.

"I had emailed (F1 supremo) Bernie Ecclestone about my passes. I was really nervous and I sent a picture of Roscoe wearing headphones. Bernie wasn't too happy but that's the one that will be on his pass," said Hamilton.

For safety reasons animals are usually banned from racetracks. Stray dogs have previously caused problems, most notably at the Buddh International Circuit in India.

But Hamilton did not seem too worried by the safety concerns regarding his pet. "He is the coolest dog in the world. I will take him along with me to all the European races."

The 2008 world champion joined Mercedes from McLaren at the end of last season and will race for his new team at the season opening Australian Grand Prix this weekend.