Formula 1 has paid tribute to Sir Patrick Stewart following confirmation of his death, sharing footage of the actor’s memorable “shoey” with Daniel Ricciardo on the podium at the 2017 Canadian Grand Prix.
Stewart died on Wednesday at the age of 86 at his home in Los Angeles, with the news made public on Thursday through a statement from his family and spokesperson.
The Hollywood Reporter confirmed the cause as complications from Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia following a private illness.
The actor was best known for playing Captain Jean-Luc Picard across the Star Trek franchise and Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men films, alongside a stage career spanning more than six decades that included extensive work with the Royal Shakespeare Company and acclaimed runs on Broadway and in the West End.
His F1 connection came at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in June 2017, where Lewis Hamilton won from pole for Mercedes ahead of Valtteri Bottas and Ricciardo, who claimed third for Red Bull. Stewart conducted the official podium interviews that day and unexpectedly asked to take part in Ricciardo’s celebratory ritual rather than being talked into it.
The moment quickly became one of the best and most widely shared celebrity crossovers in F1 podium history precisely because Stewart volunteered for a drink from the Australian’s racing boot.
Check out the clip below!