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Oscar Piastri Wanted to Respect “Daniel Ricciardo’s Thing” But Peer Pressure Got the Better of Him

Somin Bhattacharjee
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Oscar Piastri Wanted to Respect "Daniel Ricciardo's Thing" But Peer Pressure Got the Better of Him

At the British GP weekend, Oscar Piastri showcased his Aussie roots in front of the Silverstone crowd when he performed a shoey. However, as it turns out, the Melbourne-born driver didn’t particularly want to do it out of respect for former McLaren driver Daniel Ricciardo.

The Honey Badger made the shoey his trademark celebration on the F1 podiums, but it had been a while since the crowd saw it. Interestingly, Ricciardo’s last shoey came for McLaren when he won the Italian GP in 2021.

However, in Silverstone, the crowd wanted Piastri to emulate a tradition Ricciardo made famous. In an interview with TalkSport, Piastri admits that it was “Daniel Ricciardo’s thing“, and that the only reason he did the shoey was to compensate for the other things that went wrong that weekend. He said,

“I had to do something to cheer us up. I think we were a bit disappointed immediately after the race, so… that would be a good way to lift the spirits.”

Piastri was referring to the missed opportunity for McLaren to register a race win in Silverstone, either through him or his teammate Lando Norris. The latter too, played a part in the shoey celebrations, something Piastri had in mind since last year.

Why Piastri made Norris do the shoey

Piastri revealed that in 2023, Norris made him do the shoey without following suit. That’s why this year, the Australian came prepared to make the Bristol-born driver taste champagne out of a shoe.

“I had to get Lando involved because last year he made me do it and didn’t do it himself,” said Piastri. “So he was not getting away unscathed this year.” Safe to say that Ricciardo didn’t mind Norris and Piastri carrying forward his tradition.

But at the same time, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he felt a tinge of envy, considering the fact that he hasn’t been able to celebrate a podium himself for almost three years now. Ricciardo is currently driving for Red Bull’s sister team V-CARB, hoping to impress the bosses and become Max Verstappen’s teammate in the upcoming campaign.

Post Edited By:Vidit Dhawan

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

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Formula 1 Editor Somin Bhattacharjee fell for the sport as well as Fernando Alonso on the same day — during the Spaniard’s thrilling victory at the German GP in 2010. Over the years, the passion magnified manyfold, and metamorphosed into a writing career in 2021. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. He has penned over 2,700 articles for TheSportsRush, presenting a diverse range — news reports, opinions, and exclusives. A true Tiffosi, Somin never gives up on a chance to defend the Ferrari boys as a fan. As a sports writer though, he remains objective to the core and relishes opportunities to follow and engage in dissecting the action during races. That’s where the real thrill lies for him. Beyond the racetrack, Somin plays different sports including soccer. He enjoys exploring other sporting events and proudly supports Spanish soccer club Real Madrid.

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