In an event arranged by mutual sponsor Mobil 1, Lewis Hamilton and double NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Tony Stewart took part in a Car Swap at Watkins Glen.

In front of a crowd of enthusiastic race fans and motorsports journalists from around the globe, Hamilton took laps in Stewart's No. 14 Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevrolet Impala, while Stewart climbed into the cockpit of the team Vodafone 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.

The teams' shared lubricant technology partner, Mobil 1, orchestrated the event to mark more than 30 years of worldwide motorsport sponsorship.

"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 Hamilton. "Thanks to Mobil 1, I couldn't have asked for a better opportunity today - not only did I get the chance to drive the car of Tony Stewart I also got to share that experience by giving him the chance to drive my car.

"NASCAR is a different world," he continued. "Driving the No. 14 Mobil 1/Office Depot 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. It was a great day at Watkins Glen, this is a circuit with a great deal of Formula 1 history behind it: Emerson Fittipaldi won McLaren their first drivers' and constructors' titles here back in 1974 and it's been fantastic to come here and take in some of that history."

"I've always been intrigued by the open wheel cars in Formula 1 racing," said Stewart. "Feeling the power behind the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes 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."

After their track activity the two drivers took part in an open press conference moderated by David Coulthard.

Moderator - David Coulthard: Ladies and gentlemen, it's time to get the drivers up here and take a few questions, explain whether that was as much fun as it looked. Before we throw it open to the floor, I'll get a few questions going here... Lewis, tell us your experience for the first time in a stock car.
Lewis Hamilton: Well, it was definitely good that I got to go out in the F1 car just to kind of get an idea of where the track went. The track is absolutely fantastic. It feels like a real classic. It just feels historic when you're driving around. They don't make tracks like that nowadays. When they build new Formula One circuits, they don't build them like this. Being in a stock car, I was a little nervous pulling away. I thought I was in the wrong gear or something because it sounded like the rpm was dropping a little bit. I just gave it some power.

Tony Stewart: You did good.