Friday night, Chadwick Boseman‘s family confirmed that he had passed away at 43 due to colon cancer. This news shocked the world and prompted tributes from people across all walks of life. NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace was among this group, and he tweeted about the “devastating” news while shining a light on Boseman’s accomplishments.
“Crazy to think when I turned on the TV yesterday Get On Up was on. Being a James Brown fan and seeing how well [Chadwick Boseman] portrayed the role. Made me think about all the other films he played in n how talented he was! Waking up to the news is devastating. RIP BLACK PANTHER,” Wallace tweeted on Saturday morning. He was one of the many posting tributes to the popular actor following his death, including several from the sports world.
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In addition to Wallace, fellow NASCAR driver Jesse Iwuji — who races in the Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series — also posted a tribute to Boseman on Instagram. He posted a photo showing a still from Black Panther and then placed it next to an image of himself wearing a toy Black Panther mask. “RIP [Chadwick Boseman], you played my favorite super hero better than anyone could ever,” Iwuji wrote on Saturday.
Similarly, Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton turned heads on Saturday following a successful qualifying session in Belgium. He woke up and heard the news that Boseman had died and then headed to the track looking to make a statement. He then captured the pole position for the Belgian GP while setting a new lap record twice. Hamilton exited his Mercedes, stood on top of the racecar and then crossed his arms in the Wakanda salute.
“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. [Wakanda Forever] [Black Panther],” Hamilton wrote on Twitter.
According to BBC, Hamilton — F1’s only Black driver — explained that this qualifying session was very special for him. He wanted it to be perfect and to show strength, and he wanted to be in front of the pack on his own. Hamilton did just that and used the moment to pay tribute to a man that he had met and respected. “Because today’s a special day, to be able to dedicate it to Chadwick. I feel very honoured to be able to do that,” Hamilton said.
