Rounding off two days of celebrations following the launch of a new race car emoji, Lewis, the team, and our Official Messaging Partner WhatsApp took over Fifth Avenue in New York City for a thrilling demonstration run.
The seven-time World Champion got behind-the-wheel of W12 and was joined by a life-sized version of the recently launched emoji race car. The run marked the first-ever live demonstration of an F1 car in Manhattan and also marked WhatsApp’s double-digit growth in the US.
Lewis said: “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 travelling the world. To collaborate with them on a day like this is something I’ll never forget.”
It caps a stunning weekend of events in the city that never sleeps, including the lighting up of the Empire State Building, a dynamic light show, car displays, and pit stop exhibit.
Toto added: “I’ve done many events in the past 12 years, but this tops it all. Seeing Fifth Avenue shut down for a Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team car to run was spectacular. That is true even by New York standards!
“To be able to do this in celebration of our partnership with WhatsApp, and showcasing our relationship, is fantastic. WhatsApp is our default communication tool, end-to-end encrypted and safe. It is vital for our team and our partnership is a natural fit.”
