Australian racing superman Daniel Ricciardo made guzzling victory champagne out of your shoe famous, but Billy Monger—the teen racer who lost both his legs in a devastating British Formula 4 race in 2017—just one-upped him and everybody else who’s ever done a “shoey” in a big way.
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Monger sipped (or rather chugged) champagne from his prosthetic leg from atop the third place podium at Spa Francorchamps over the weekend, according to the Sunday Times. He calls it a “leggy,” and it sets a new standard for excellence.
The 19-year-old racer joined winner Linus Lundqvist and second-place Tom Gamble on the podium but was actually a little disappointed in his performance after a strong start. Still, the podium placement was a big event, and not just for Monger.
“I thought, I haven’t been on the podium for so long that I needed to remind the boys that this is what it’s all about, and I hope the boys in blue [at team Carlin] enjoyed it. And they might have to drink out of my leg later on too!” Monger told the Times.
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In the spring of 2017, Monger smashed into a stalled vehicle England’s Donington Park at full speed during a F4 race. He spent days fighting for his life, eventually losing both legs.
A lot of people would have hung up their race helmet after such a brush with death, but Monger isn’t most racers. Just nine months later, he was back behind the wheel of a specially modified race car. “There was a slight moment when I thought I wouldn’t drive again,” Monger told the BBC. “The dream stays the same. That I want to be an F1 driver.”
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Now, just 16 months after losing his legs, the 19-year-old is taking podiums a step above the series he crashed in. At his first race since the accident, Monger cinched a respectable fifth place, and continued to tear up the track.
Of course, Riccardo also gave Monger props.
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