Daniel Ricciardo is a one-of-a-kind driver on the F1 grid, thanks to his personality and antics. His fan appeal went higher up when Ricciardo brought out the iconic ‘shoey’ celebration, where he drinks champagne out of a shoe during a podium celebration. Speaking ahead of the race in Australia, as seen in a video uploaded on X by user Meredith, Ricciardo revealed how he would be willing to let Oscar Piastri borrow the celebration should he secure a podium finish.
Shoeys by Oscar has the official stamp of approval from Daniel ✅#AusGP pic.twitter.com/2FNS3PUz2T
— meredith (@mereeedithh) March 24, 2024
Ahead of the Australian GP, Ricciardo claimed that he would want to share the podium and celebration with Piastri. However, given Ricciardo started the Australian GP from P18 on the grid, he felt Piastri had the better chance of finishing in the top three. Hence, Ricciardo was more than willing to let Piastri borrow the celebration. While Piastri wondered if he could take the tradition forward, Ricciardo’s blessing helped put his mind at ease.
“I ideally would share it. But, yeah you have to keep the Aussies proud if you’re the only one up there.” – Ricciardo
“Challenge accepted.” – Piastri
Piastri started the race in P5 following a three-place grid penalty for Sergio Perez. Max Verstappen suffered a shocking DNF, which opened up the race from those at the front, but unfortunately, he couldn’t secure a top three finish, ending his race in P4. His teammate Lando Norris ended up taking the final step on the podium behind the two Ferraris.
Daniel Ricciardo labels Oscar Piastri as Australia’s future
There are a handful of talents in F1 who have represented Australia at the highest level of F1 over the years. Alan Jones was the first to arrive on the scene, with Mark Webber following in his footsteps. Ricciardo came next, and Piastri is now gearing up to be the star of the future from the land down under.
Addressing the same, Ricciardo mentioned how children today won’t be able to relate to him as much as they would relate to Piastri. “He’s (Piastri) the next inspiration for them, and hopefully, this cycle continues.”
Recalling his own days as a child hoping to make it to F1, Ricciardo admitted he used to look up to Webber. The 9-time Grand Prix winner helped Ricciardo realize his goal and work towards achieving the same. Once Ricciardo achieved the same, he became a source of inspiration for others.
Now, in the twilight years of his career, the Perth-born driver looks at Piastri as the new torch bearer for Aussies. Having such role models to look up to is crucial for potential talents to set themselves a benchmark. They draw consistent inspiration from their role models, helping them improve and rise through the ranks in any discipline.
