Pierre Gasly joined the exclusive F1 dog-owners club—which includes Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc—when he and his girlfriend, Cerqueira Gomes, adopted Simba earlier this year. At last weekend’s Mexico City GP, they brought Simba to the paddock, which surprisingly led to online backlash against Gomes.
Also known as “Kika,” Gomes arrived in the paddock with Simba seemingly tucked inside a bag, as seen in a photo captured by veteran photographer Kym Illman, who later uploaded it.
Though Illman’s photo was deleted shortly after, it quickly spread on TikTok, where the model’s intentions were questioned, as many felt she was mistreating Simba.
According to @f1gossipofficial on Instagram, Gomes came on record to defend herself. Prefacing her stance with, “I do everything for him,” she explained how she was taking all the measures to protect and care for Simba.
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The post explained that Kika got the bag specially for keeping Simba in it, because for him, it is like a home. “In our TikTok video, Kika left some comments saying the name of the bag (suitable for transporting dogs) and that Simba stays in the hospitality area away from the noise, which according to her, is like a home.”
When did Gasly and Kika adopt Simba?
Gasly and Gomes adopted Simba in July 2024. Since then, he has become a fan-favorite and paddock regular, with Gomes herself describing Simba as social, and someone who loves interacting with people and fans.
Simba—a ginger toy poodle—was adopted by the duo just months after Leclerc and his girlfriend, Alexandra Saint Mleux got their own puppy, Leo.
The Ferrari driver’s pup himself has started to rival F1’s most famous pet — Lewis Hamilton’s bulldog Roscoe. Leo, a Dachshund, became so affable to fans that during Grand Prix weekends, people would bring his posters to the circuit.
It’s safe to say the future of dog influencers in F1 is in capable hands with the trio of Roscoe, Simba, and Leo leading the pack.
