Lewis Hamilton dedicates his sixth pole at Spa-Francorchamps to Hollywood Star Chadwick Boseman

Defending champion Lewis Hamilton grabbed pole position in the Belgian Grand Prix qualifying and dedicated it to Hollywood star Chadwick Boseman, who lost his battle against cancer early Saturday morning.

Hamilton set a new track record with a blistering time of 1:41.252 to grab the top spot for the main race on Sunday. Hamilton's Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas lost out by 0.511 seconds to clinch 2nd place on the grid, ahead of Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen, who was 0.526 seconds adrift in 3rd.

Hamilton later dedicated his sixth pole position at Spa-Francorchamps and record-extending 93rd overall to the late Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman, an actor whose work celebrated African-American pioneers and culture, died at age 43 after a four-year battle



with colon cancer on Saturday.

Chadwick Boseman, a native of South Carolina who began his screen career in episodes of television dramas such as "Third Watch," "Law & Order" and "ER," passed away at his home, with his wife and family at his side.

"I woke up to the sad news of Chadwick passing away. That news really, really broke me. He was such a shining light. Wakanda Forever. I just wanted to come out today and drive to perfection," Hamilton said after qualifying.

"I want to dedicate this pole to Chadwick. What he accomplished and the legacy he left is so incredible to me. He’s inspired a whole generation of young black men and women and provided them with a true superhero to look up to. Rest in power my friend," Hamilton added.