Lewis Hamilton has recalled how he was left unable to hold his head up after driving at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya prior to his Formula 1 debut. Ahead of the 2023 Spanish Grand Prix, the track was reverted back to the pre-2007 layout, with a chicane before the final corner removed to return the Turns 14-15 section of the circuit to its former design. Hamilton embarked on his rookie season in F1 in 2007 but can still remember driving at the track back in 2006, meaning that the seven-time World Champion felt "mega excited" about racing on the old layout again for this year's race. "This is one of those older classic circuits, one that I've always enjoyed testing at," Hamilton told media, including RacingNews365.com .
Hamilton recalls Barcelona test
After testing at the track for McLaren in 2006, Hamilton can recall the impact that this had on his body. "I do remember testing here in 2006, my first test in the McLaren," the Mercedes driver explained. "And that was two or three days, or four days, of the high-speed last corners, and I remember I couldn't hold my head up! "The team asked me, they said, 'Gary [Paffett, former McLaren test driver] uses a pad. Do you want the pad?' I'm like, 'No, no, no, my neck's strong!' "I remember getting to Turn 1 and straight away not being able to hold my head up! [I came] back in and said, 'Yeah, no, my neck's good.' "I was in so much pain, struggling to sleep at night."
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