Previous to Saturday’s Belgian Grand Prix qualifying session at Spa-Francorchamps, System One famous person Lewis Hamilton woke as much as the information that Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman had died on Friday, after a four-year battle with colon most cancers.Â
Hamilton is a 6-time System One World Champion, typically thought to be the best driver within the historical past of the game. Solely Michael Schumacher has extra F1 World Championships (7), and Hamilton’s 88 profession victories are solely three behind Schumacher’s all-time report of 91, two information effectively inside attain for the 35-year previous Hamilton.
Nevertheless, regardless of his success, Hamilton is perhaps finest identified for being the one – and solely – Black driver within the historical past of System One racing, a driver who has dealt along with his justifiable share of racism since coming into the game and pushed again at each flip.
So on Saturday, lower than a day after Boseman’s dying, Hamilton apparently needed to do one thing particular for the actor who not solely performed Black Panther, but in addition portrayed a number of different outstanding Black figures, such Jackie Robinson in 42, James Brown in Get On Up and Thurgood Marshall in Marshall.
Think about Hamilton’s mission achieved.
Hamilton broke his personal course report at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Stevelot, Belgium, incomes pole place for the sixth time forward of the annual Belgian Grand Prix.
The Belgian Grand Prix is without doubt one of the most legendary and long-standing races on the System One World Championship circuit. Hamilton received the race in 2010, 2015 and 2017, a yr by which he tied Schumacher’s report for many pole positions with 68 – Hamilton now holds the report at 93 pole positions and counting.
On the conclusion of Saturday’s qualifying session, Hamilton paid tribute to Boseman over his radio.
Then, he exited his automobile, stood on prime of it, and honored Boseman by way of the “Wakanda Without end” salute that was popularized by within the Black Panther movie.Â
Hamilton is presently atop the System One World Championship standings, having received 4 of the six races to date