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“When you’re watching the news, when you see what’s going on around the world and I feel really, really affected by it and obviously I was so incredibly proud when Chadwick was Black Panther.”
By James Galloway
Last Updated: 08/31/20 7:03 pm
Lewis Hamilton has spoken candidly about “feeling a lot of weight in my heart” in the middle of the 2020 world events, on a Belgian GP weekend he dedicated his success to Chadwick Boseman.
Hamilton has been a prominent voice calling for greater diversity and opportunity both in motorsport and in society at large, and the six-time F1 champion speaks regularly with passion about social justice and the need for greater equality.
After the death of Boseman, the American actor best known for playing superhero Black Panther, Hamilton dedicated his pole position at Spa-Francorchamps to a man he described as “moved a generation.”
The Mercedes driver also dedicated his victory in Sunday’s race to the actor and, speaking afterward, reflected on the emotion he felt upon hearing the news Saturday morning of Boseman’s passing.
“I think naturally we had that week off, I did a good workout at home and came here feeling pretty relaxed,” Hamilton said of his preparation for Spa weekend.
3:21 Lewis Hamilton dedicated his pole position at Spa to actor Chadwick Boseman, who sadly passed away at the age of 43.
“And then obviously I woke up yesterday morning and … I mean, overall, I’ve been feeling a lot of weight on my heart, spirit.
“You know, when you’re watching the news, when you see what’s going on all over the world and I’m very affected by that and obviously I was so incredibly proud when Chadwick was Black Panther because, as I mentioned all the reasons yesterday, As a kid, dreaming of superheroes and finally seeing someone, a superhero of a similar color to mine, was really such an extraordinary moment, I think, for the black community.
“So when I woke up and got the news from a friend who said he was crying writing you this message about Chad, and then reading the news, I just broke down. I remember, trying to fix it and make sure I delivered that day.”
It has been an emotional weekend, I want to dedicate this victory to Chad and his family, it was a great inspiration and his legacy will endure. I am publishing this image because we must continue fighting for equality, nothing has changed yet and the battle continues. #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/mmpJWtUd2t
– Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) August 30, 2020
Hamilton: ‘nothing has changed yet’
Before the start of Sunday’s race, Hamilton and his fellow drivers had gathered again on the grid at the sport’s anti-racism ceremony to send their message in the fight against discrimination around the world.
On the podium, he performed the Wakanda salute that Boseman made famous in Marvel’s Black Panther franchise.
Posting the two images together in a subsequent post on social media, Hamilton said: “I am posting this image because we must continue to fight for equality, nothing has changed yet and the battle continues.”
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