Celebrating the Year of the F1 Dog

Red Bull Racing top dog

© Twitter.com / @RedBullRacing

Friday marked the beginning of the Chinese New Year, with celebrations set to last for over two weeks.

In Chinese astrology, each year is related to a zodiac animal according to the 12-year cycle. This year it's the start of the Year of the Dog, which occupies the eleventh position in the Chinese zodiac.

Specifically, this year is represented by an Earth Dog for the first time since 1958. Anyone born in an Earth Dog year is said to be communicative, serious, and responsible in the workplace.

To mark the occasion, we've picked an actual dog for our Picture of the Day. Red Bull found a test and development hound to take over the race seat of the RB14. It's possible he's even more cute and adorable than Max Verstappen! Better watch those claws, though - they look set to seriously scratch that expensive paintwork.

Surely one of the most familiar dogs in Formula 1 is Lewis Hamilton's famous best friend Roscoe. He's photographed below with his master at the Mercedes factory. (The Formula 1 driver is the one on the right.)

In case you're wondering, Hamilton himself was born on January 7 1985, which makes him a bit of a Rat - sorry, Lewis! On the plus side, a Rat is predicted to have good luck and lots of wealth in 2018, which perhaps points to another successful season ahead for the reigning champion.

Lewis Hamilton at the Mercedes factory

© Twitter.com / @MercedesAMGF1

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