Full Disclosure: Mobil 1 is a major, global client of my employer Weber Shandwick. I also had the opportunity to help with logistics of this event. The thoughts and words below are mine and in no way reflect any positioning of Weber Shandwick or Mobil 1.
Put a F1 driver behind the wheel of a stock car, a stock car driver behind the wheel of an F1 car, and cut them loose on one of the most historic race tracks in America. That is a big idea and the premise for the Mobil 1 Seat Swap hosted at Watkin's Glen International Raceway earlier in June. With Tony Stewart behind the wheel of Lewis Hamilton's F1 car and vice versa, this made racing history. Plenty of mainstream media covered the event, so you can see more details via video after the break. I wanted to provide my take on the top-5 moments of the day from my perspective.
#1. Tony's first flying lap in the McClaren Mercedes F1 Car - For those of you who have heard an F1 car in person, you know what I mean. These cars sound incredible, with a high wine that trumpets and echos around you. I've been around lots of race cars, but this sound gives me goosebumps.
#2. Lewis Hamilton's burnout after his laps in the No. 14 Mobil 1 Chevrolet - Guys are simple creatures... we like smokey burnouts. And Lewis is no different. His burnout was awesome to see and was pretty good considering that isn't something you see an F1 driver do very often (if ever).
#3. The Crowd - WGI told the team on the ground that 10,000 people attended the seat swap... pretty amazing. These fans braved the cold, rain and mist and brought all of the pride and bravado you see in race fans. Air horns and all. A great group of people with a passion for F1 that was palpable, both at the track and in the city later night as we were the talk of the town.
#4 The Weather - As a road race fan, I appreciate the weather challenges posed by racing at The Glen in the Fall, Road America in the Spring or LeMans. It can be cold. It can be rainy. It can be windy. We had all of these at The Glen and it sure made for a cool (and challenging) environment to run these cars in. But with all the inclement weather, the drivers pulled off a series of safe and clean runs. I'm just glad I brought my REI raincoat.
#5. Seeing the Cars Up Close - Again, being around the stockers regularly I'm always amazed by the technology and professional setups these cars run. The F1 car looks like a fighter jet with wheels, with more wings than in a fighter jet squadron.
This was such an incredible event for a gear head and one that I was thrilled to be part of. And how does this tie back into Saabs, well I've been running Mobil 1 in the Stinger since she became mine. The technology and reputation of Mobil 1 is what had me first make the upgrade, and the Seat Swap has made me a lifetime fan.
SEAT SWAP FROM SPEED CHANNEL
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