Lewis Hamilton taking inspiration from Barcelona comeback for 2017
"These guys didn't stop, they didn't quit, kept pushing and l left there thinking l need to use that mentality in my season."
By Pete Gill at Barcelona
Last Updated: 12/03/17 8:10am
Lewis Hamilton says he will be taking inspiration from Barcelona's incredible Champions League comeback against Paris Saint-Germain when the new F1 season begins.
Hamilton was pitchside on Wednesday night to watch the Catalans produce one of the greatest comebacks in football history when they beat the French champions 6-1 to overcome a 4-0 defeat in the first leg of their last-16 tie.
"It was the best game I've ever seen," enthused Hamilton. "I just feel really lucky to have been there."
Hamilton is a friend of a friend of Barcelona forward Neymar, who took a star act in the epic comeback, and used the opportunity presented by F1's two-week residence for pre-season testing at the nearby Circuit de Catalunya to make his first trip to the Nou Camp.
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"I've been talking to him about going to watch him play for a while now and finally being there it worked out perfectly," he said. "Some of my best friends flew over from the UK and what a fight we saw.
"And to see the atmosphere from the fans. I have never seen anything like it. The energy in that place was so explosive. And when we left, the whole city was in a good mood, driving around beeping their horns all night long."
Barcelona sealed their aggregate victory with the winning goal five minutes into injury time to book their place in the last eight of the tournament and leave Hamilton inspired for the upcoming new F1 campaign.
Hamilton said: "It was really great to see and that fighting spirit was really inspiring. These guys didn't stop, they didn't quit, kept pushing and l left there thinking l need to use that mentality in my season."
Watch the start of the 2017 F1 season live only on Sky Sports F1 - and in Ultra HD for the first time! Don't miss the Australian GP from March 24-26, with full coverage across TV and the Sky Sports Digital platforms. Get Sky F1 for the new season!
