Hamilton: Champagne "tasted worse" from Ricciardo's boot

Having finished third in the Emilia Romanga GP, Ricciardo decided to undertake the Australian podium gesture of drinking the celebratory champagne from his boot.

Ricciardo was about to take a drink from his right boot when Hamilton volunteered to join in. 

The Australian duly removed his other boot, and having topped it up with champagne, offered it to the world champion.

Hamilton had previously insisted to Ricciardo that he would never share his shoey celebrations.

“It definitely didn’t taste great,” said the Mercedes driver. “I mean I don’t really like champagne as it is, but it definitely tastes worse.

“But what’s positive is that Daniel’s mum thinks I was a good sport, so I’m grateful for that. I think Daniel had said that I’d once said never, that I would never do it. So there’s a lesson – never say never. It was a good moment.”

The unique Australian celebration, now popularised as 'shoey', was kickstarted by V8 Utes racer Ryal Harris, but it was first introduced to F1 by Ricciardo at the German Grand Prix in 2016.

The Renault driver said he enjoyed Hamilton's change of heart after his previous hesitations to perform a shoey, describing the moment as "majestic".

“I took my right shoe off, poured it, and was about to salute the mechanics,” he said. “And I heard Mr Hamilton asking me to take my left shoe off. He also drank out of my shoe today. So we shared one today, and it was majestic.

“And fun fact for everyone, I think it was three years ago on the podium he said he will never, ever drink out of my shoe, and in 2020 strange things are happening.

“I was very adamant that I would get him to do it one day, and here we go. So I didn't forget, and I’m very happy.

“Champagne is colder these days, I don't know if it's because we're approaching winter and it's cooler outside, but it does make the shoe experience slightly more tolerable.”

Asked if drinking champagne from another driver’s shoe was potentially a breach of COVID-19 protocols, Formula 1 race director Michael Masi admitted that no such rule had yet been written.

He noted: “I would have to say that it's not something that I've studied or considered in any great detail, about sharing a shoey, as it's commonly referred to.”