Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 New York Demo Run

After two days of celebrations following the launch by WhatsApp of a new race car emoji, Lewis Hamilton, the F1 team, and WhatsApp took over Fifth Avenue in New York City for an exciting demonstration run.

WhatsApp released a new custom race car emoji to over two billion users for use in their chats during the same week as the Miami Grand Prix. Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 driver Lewis Hamilton, along with CEO and Team Principal Toto Wolff, jointly flipped the Empire State Building’s famous light switch, illuminating the building's iconic tower lights in bright WhatsApp green. This lighting was followed by a dynamic light show on the building’s façade, featuring an animated projection of the new emoji racing through New York City.

The seven-time World Champion got behind the wheel of the W12 and was joined by a life-sized version of the recently launched emoji race car. This event marked the first-ever live demonstration of an F1 car in Manhattan and also coincided with WhatsApp's double-digit growth in the US.

““That was epic! It has always been a dream of mine to drive an F1 car down Fifth Avenue in New York City. Seeing the crowds and everyone’s excitement was awesome. To do something like this, when you think about the incredible history of this city, is incredible. I want to say a huge thank you to WhatsApp and the Empire State Building for making it possible. I use WhatsApp to communicate with all my family and friends, staying in touch when we’re traveling the world. To collaborate with them on a day like this is something I’ll never forget.””

— Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes AMG Petronas F1

JOMA