Australian Formula 1 star Daniel Ricciardo may be leaving the Renault F1 team at the end of the 2020 season, but he still intends to leave team boss Cyril Abiteboul with a lifelong gift before he departs.
Ricciardo is set to join the McLaren team at the end of the COVID-19-hit 2020 season, but revealed he hopes to win an ongoing bet with his current team boss that will leave Abiteboul with a permanent memory of the Aussie's time with the team.
Ricciardo revealed that last year he struck a bet with his French team boss that if he could pilot his Renault to the team's first podium finish since their return to the sport in 2016, Abiteboul would get a tattoo of the driver's choosing.
After Abiteboul mentioned the bet after Ricciardo finished fourth at the British Grand Prix, the Australian ace told reporters at the pre-race press conference ahead of this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix that his current boss can choose the size and location of the tattoo, but the design would be selected by him.
"This has really broken out now," he laughed.
"That's the bet... we will clear that up but it is a tattoo, and he does not have any, so it's a big deal for Cyril.
"I feel it’ll be something probably a little spontaneous, spur of the moment, but it's going to be something funny like when he looks at it he shakes his head.
"And it's like 'Ah, remember those times.' Yeah, one of those ones."
Ricciardo has stood on the podium more recently than Renault, with the driver last appearing on the box at the 2018 Monaco Grand Prix.
He's come agonizingly close to reaching the podium for Renault having twice finished fourth for the French constructors, and he said he'd love to be able to give the team something to celebrate before he heads for his new team at the end of the season.
"I do want to stand back up there and be delivered a trophy on a robot or whatever they're doing now," he said, joking about the current COVID-19 protocols at F1 Grand Prix events. He also said he's looking forward to reprising his famous Australian "shoey" celebration, too.
"I miss that, and I’ll probably get a fine for drinking out of my shoe, but it will be worth it."
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