AUSTIN (Texas) • Australian Formula One driver Daniel Ricciardo laughingly handed Scottish film star Gerard Butler a sweaty boot filled with Red Bull on the US Grand Prix podium on Sunday and demanded that he drink.

With a live global audience of millions watching, and tens of thousands at the track, the actor swallowed his pride and also the contents of the boot.

"I hear Mr Butler does not drink alcohol; I respect that completely," the Australian - who finished third for the Red Bull team - told the crowd as Butler approached to conduct the podium interviews.

"But I believe he's going to drink some Red Bull out of my shoe right now. The race wasn't that exciting but hopefully now..."

Ricciardo, a race winner in Malaysia this month, has made a habit of quaffing the podium champagne from his race boot - dubbing the gesture a "shoey" - when he finishes in the top three.

He said last month that he had been introduced to the quirky celebration by Australian fishermen and surfers.

"If the sparkling wine is cold, then it tastes good. Normally on the podium, it's cold so you don't get all the flavours but if it's warm, then you get the sweat and all that through it... but the cold taste kills the bad stuff," he had said in Singapore.

Ricciardo said then that he would probably limit the celebration to race victories only, but he said nothing about extending the "treat" to others. "You've got to be kidding me. I hate you," said the Scot - who played King Leonidas in the 2009 movie 300 - before complying.

"Fortunately I could taste mostly the Red Bull," he told race winner Lewis Hamilton when asked about the flavour.

He later sounded as if he might have actually enjoyed the experience: "Too much fun at the F1 US Grand Prix, especially being given the boot by @danielricciardo," he said on Twitter.

REUTERS