The Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team and WhatsApp have collaborated to introduce a new emoji featuring a black and teal open-wheel car similar to the one used in real life by Mercedes. This emoji is now available for WhatsApp’s two billion-plus users to use in their chats. The event unveiling the new emoji took place at the Empire State Building, where Toto Wolff and Lewis Hamilton were present. A light show on the skyscraper’s façade showcased the emoji while Meta revealed that they have experienced double-digit growth in daily users and messages sent in the U.S.

As part of the activation, Hamilton will do a demonstration run down Fifth Avenue with an older-generation Mercedes F1 car, marking the first time an F1 car has been showcased in Manhattan. A life-sized replica of the emoji race car will also be featured at this demo run. These activations are timed ahead of the upcoming Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix, which is set to take place on Sunday at 4pm ET on ABC. The collaboration between WhatsApp and the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team highlights the continued partnership between the two entities and showcases the brand exposure opportunities for both parties.