Shy of the Shoey, Ricciardo ponders a Helmety

NEVER mind the “Shoey”, stand by for the “Helmety” — Australia’s Daniel Ricciardo has wondered jokingly whether he might have to give up his podium “shoeys” and glug champagne from his helmet instead.

The Red Bull driver was responding to recent reports that Formula One Licensing had registered a trademark for the “Shoey” in more than 25 countries, relating to flasks, glasses, bottles, mugs and figurines. Details were published on the World Intellectual Property Organisation website.

“I heard something about that,” Ricciardo said at the Spanish Grand Prix. “To be honest I stayed off the internet for pretty much the whole time, but they trademarked the Shoey? I don’t know what that means. Can I still do it or are they going to fine me every time? I’ll take my helmet up there and do a ‘Helmety’ or something. I’ll find out more about that. Hopefully they’re not trying to stitch me up.”

It was not the first time that Ricciardo has threatened to give the Shoey the boot.

Last year he expressed a fear that the podium ritual, dreaded by rival drivers and celebrities but loved by his F1 fans as well as anyone else not in drinking distance, was getting out of control.

Ricciardo said then, after an F1 Live event on the streets of London in July, that some fans were even shouting “Shoey” to him as he walked past them.

“I don’t actually just take my shoe off while I’m walking in the street and drink out of it. I feel like I dug a hole for myself with this one,” he said.

The Shoey was a particularly Australian ritual practised by surfers before it spread to other sports.