Hamilton dedicates pole to his hero Chad
LEWIS HAMILTON produced a clinical pole lap in memory of his own superhero, whose death he woke up to yesterday morning.
Chadwick Boseman, who has died aged 43 from cancer, became a star after playing the titular role in the 2018 film Black Panther.
Hamilton, a commanding half-asecond faster than his team-mate Valtteri Bottas in qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix, was emotional afterwards, saying: ‘This is for you, Chad. Rest in Peace.’
He added: ‘Our superhero died last night so that was weighing heavily on me. I was so driven to deliver a good performance so I could dedicate it to Chad. I was really lucky to meet him once and tell him how awesome he was.
‘When I was a kid Superman was the hero but he didn’t look like me. I still thought he was the greatest.
‘When Chad became the king, the first black superhero, in Black Panther it was such a special day for so many people. Young black kids can look up to him and see that it’s possible to do what he did, so this one is dedicated to him.’ Hamilton lit a candle before qualifying and performed the Wakanda salute associated with Boseman on his car afterwards.
The world champion’s 93rd pole — and yet another Mercedes front-row lockout — means only rain from the ever-present clouds at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit offers any realistic chance of the Briton being denied a victory that would take him closer to a record-equalling seventh title.
Max Verstappen, Hamilton’s nearest challenger 37 points behind, qualified third for Red Bull. Just as predictable as the Mercedes-Hamilton axis of dominance was the performance — or absence of it — from Ferrari, for whom Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel qualified 13th and 14th, having finished the final practice session in 17th and 20th.
As Leclerc laboured through the Ardennes forest, he said: ‘F***, there’s not much I can do. It’s difficult to find an explanation.’
This all stems, it seems, from their engine of last year being subject to an FIA ‘clarification’.
Briton George Russell acquitted himself well for newly-sold Williams, qualifying only a place back from Vettel.