Lewis Hamilton and Tony Stewart completed their much anticipated car swap on Tuesday at the Watkins Glen circuit in the Finger Lakes region of New York.
The promotional stunt, organised by shared lubricant supplier Mobil 1, saw Hamilton take to Stewart’s Office Depot Chevrolet Impala, whilst Stewart climbed into the cockpit of the McLaren-Mercedes MP4-23.
The drivers each enjoyed a few laps around the long course at The Glen, experiencing the 3.4-mile, 11-turn lap circuit.
“I’d always wondered what it would be like to get behind the wheel of a NASCAR stock car, because it’s such a completely different experience from driving a Formula 1 car”, said the McLaren driver.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity today – not only did I get the chance to drive the car of Tony Stewart, a double NASCAR champion, but I also got to share that experience by giving him the chance to drive my car too.
“NASCAR is a different world. Driving the Chevrolet was a massive change from what I’m used to, but Tony was an excellent teacher and I quickly found a good rhythm – those cars are raw and powerful! They’re fantastic fun to drive.”
40-year-old Stewart said the experience of driving an F1 car will be ‘an experience thay he’ll never forget’.
“I’ve always been intrigued by the open wheel cars in Formula 1 racing. Feeling the power behind the McLaren MP4-23 was amazing and being able to take it for a ride around the course in front of a crowd of avid race fans at a track like The Glen made it even more special. An experience that I’ll never forget.
“It’s just amazing how far you can charge the corner. It’s easy to see why it’s hard for these guys to overtake because it’s not a long distance from the time you get off the throttle on the brakes to where you’re changing directions. It gives you a much greater appreciation for how hard it is for these guys to overtake each other, what that car’s actually capable of. It’s just incredible the technology behind it.”
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