– Daniel Ricciardo has given detailed insights into the origin story of his now iconic podium celebration, the “shoey,” in a recent conversation. In a YouTube interview with Ford CEO Jim Farley, who compared the gesture to Dan Gurney’s first champagne spraying at Le Mans in 1966, the Australian explained that he originally introduced the move as a tribute to his homeland.
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Although Ricciardo made the “shoey” world-famous, its origin likely lies in Europe. “I think when I started doing it, a friend of mine researched the story behind it and I think it was originally a German thing,” Ricciardo explained. While he couldn’t remember the exact history, the inspiration came directly from his circle of friends.
“A few of my friends in Australia were doing it. There was a group called ‘Mad Hueys,’ they traveled around the world for surf trips and just drank out of their shoes. I hadn’t lived in Australia for a long time at that point, but it was my way of showing Australia that I’m still Australian,” said the 36-year-old.
Looseness in the Ecclestone era
For Ricciardo, the celebration was also a means of staying true to himself in the premier class of motorsport. “I always tried, in an almost desperate way, to stay true to myself in a sport that – it’s changed today, but ten years ago it was definitely still a bit buttoned-up. I wanted to try to loosen the sport up a bit.”
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The eight-time Grand Prix winner was initially unsure how the action would be received by those in charge. “I thought to myself with the ‘shoey’: If the sport hates it, at least my Australian friends will give me respect for it. When I did it for the first time, I really didn’t know how it would be received. I thought it would remain a one-off thing.”
What the boos in Singapore changed
The decision to permanently include the “shoey” in his repertoire was ultimately made by the fans. Ricciardo remembers a race weekend shortly after the premiere: “A few months later, I was on the podium in Singapore. After the first time, I actually thought to myself: Okay, maybe I’ll just save it for wins, so for really big occasions, not for every podium.”
In Singapore, he initially refrained from the action, which was not well received by the spectators on site. “I heard ‘shoey’ chants and then there were some boos when I didn’t do it. That’s when I realized: Okay, they really want this. So I said to myself: Fine, every podium I reach from now on, I just have to do it.”
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