An unusual photo is causing a stir in the paddock—Lewis Hamilton surprises everyone in Australia with a new family member named Max.
Lewis Hamilton regularly makes headlines in the Formula 1 paddock—but no one at Albert Park expected his latest “family member.” At a fan event during the Australian Grand Prix, the seven-time world champion brought the crowd to a frenzy when he presented a photo of his new pet: a cow named Max.
Hamilton was actually just sitting on stage with his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc to chat about the upcoming race weekend. But when a picture appeared on the video screen, the Brit couldn’t help but grin. “Oh yes, that’s my cow,” Hamilton explained, visibly amused. “His name is Max!”
After an audible murmur from the audience and initial laughter, Hamilton immediately switched to defensive mode — with a wink, of course. ” I didn’t give him the name! I basically inherited it,“ he clarified. ”I swear on my life, this is not a joke. I have a farm and I adopted him. His name is simply Max.“
Animals on the farm
In addition to Max, another cow named ”Ombre” is also part of Hamilton’s new rural entourage. For the Brit, the animals are more than just livestock: “They are totally gentle. For me, they are basically the new Roscoes.”
However, there is an emotional background to this humorous anecdote. Hamilton’s long-time companion, the English bulldog Roscoe, passed away in September 2025.
The loss of the paddock’s secret star left a void that Lewis now appears to be filling with life on the farm.
The clip from Melbourne spread like wildfire on social media. Fans naturally celebrated the name similarity with Hamilton’s long-time rival Max Verstappen.
Fans react to name
“Lewis calling every farm to find a cow named Max, just so he can play it cool,” joked one user on Reddit.
“Lewis adopting a Max wasn’t on my bingo card for this year,” said another comment.
Another fan has already suggested a new TV format: “All he needs now is a few supporting characters and Amazon will give the green light to ‘Hamilton’s Farm,’” in reference to Jeremy Clarkson’s cult series.
Will there ever be a meeting between cow Max and world champion Max? The fans would love it. Until then, Hamilton is enjoying the peace and quiet on the farm—and the knowledge that he has already provided the laugh of the weekend.