Seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton closed streets in New York as he made a pitstop on 5th Avenue to help promote a new partnership between Whatsapp and Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS.
New Yorkers got treated to a thrilling F1 experience in front of the Empire State Building by Hamilton doing donuts midday on one of the city's most famous streets.
"It was surreal," Hamilton said. "I never thought I would one day drive an F1 car down 5th Avenue."
The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS driver took an older-generation Mercedes F1 car for a spin and according to organizers, it was the first time an event like this happened in Manhattan.
WhatsApp said users of its app platform should have begun noticing in their chats a new race car emoji that is a black and teal open-wheel car like the one Mercedes uses in real life.
Get Tri-state area news delivered to your inbox. Sign up for NBC New York's News Headlines newsletter.
A life-sized replica of the emoji race car was also featured.
The event was held in anticipation of the 2024 Miami Grand Prix, which is scheduled for May 3-5.
In addition to highlighting the growing presence of WhatsApp and F1 in the U.S.
