Lewis Hamilton and Tony Stewart swap their seats

And this, much to the delight of the British driver: “I felt like a kid today! It’s great to revisit childhood.” Having had a poor race weekend in Montreal, Hamilton admitted that this experience lifted his spirits: “I was still thinking about the Grand Prix this morning, but I was very excited when I got into the car. Once I was out, I had forgotten my weekend.”

Lewis Hamilton also displayed, at 26 years old, a certain nostalgia: « I was telling Tony that it could be quite cool, as it used to be, to have drivers who would be capable of racing in different disciplines week after week ». « I told Tony that if he wanted to come and drive an F1 for a weekend, to see how it works and vice versa… I know it’s not possible nowadays, but it would be really nice ».

After a few laps on a wet track with the Chevrolet Impala, Hamilton said he was impressed by the car’s braking. “I think it’s three times the weight of an F1, but actually, you don’t feel it. The brakes are surprisingly good. At first, I braked early thinking ‘this car will never stop,’ and actually, I could brake much later.” In the footage, it seems like I was drifting all the time, but I didn’t feel it at all. The rear was very stable. The McLaren driver, whose future is subject to much speculation, does not currently see himself driving in NASCAR after Formula 1.

Tony Stewart, 40, also slipped with pleasure into the cockpit of the 2008 MP4-23. “I have experience in IndyCar,” said the 1997 Indy Racing League champion, “so I’m familiar with aerodynamic downforce, but not at this level, and I’ve never driven a single-seater on a road circuit. What stands out the most is how effective the brakes are, allowing you to brake late.”

The American driver also provided his explanation for the difficulty of overtaking in F1: « It’s easy to understand why these guys struggle to overtake: you can go a long way before taking a corner. The distance isn’t very great between when you release the accelerator and when you hit the brakes, at the point where you need to change direction ».

Stewart joked about his weight, while admitting not having pushed to the limit: « Initially, I think I should lose about 10 kilos. In fact, I should still go to the gym […] I think the car’s limit is probably further than I imagine. I didn’t want to make a mistake and put myself in a bad situation. It’s quite incredible to see how well these cars handle ».

For the anecdote, Hamilton completed two laps of the New York State track with the Chevrolet, finishing 4 seconds behind Stewart with the same car. This exhibition took place in front of nearly 10,000 spectators despite the bad weather.