The pacer from Perth will follow an Aussie tradition popularised by compatriot Daniel Ricciardo. kxp

Champagne and sweaty shoes don't quite mix but for Andrew Tye it could become a celebratory concoction in the VIVO Indian Premier League this season.

"I'll probably look into it at some point," Tye told KXIP.in, referring to what's known as the 'shoey'. "Maybe if we win the IPL this year..."

Drunk out of a shoe, the 'shoey' is believed to have been started by the Mad Hueys, described as a bunch of Aussies who fish, surf and drink and have now become a bit of an enterprise. The act involves pouring champagne in a shoe, coming right out of the foot, and drinking it bottoms up.

Popularised by Daniel Ricciardo, who has made it a podium ritual every time he wins a race, the Formula 1 driver kept the tradition running from MotoGP rider and compatriot Jack Miller, who did it when he won a race in 2016.

With Ricciardo's help, it has also been performed by renowned actors Sir Patrick Stewart and Gerard Butler. It is easy to see why Tye - currently into a couple of episodes of the 'Formula 1: Drive to Survive' documentary series on Netflix - would consider the 'shoey' now.

"I am a bit of a Formula 1 fan," confesses Tye, who kicked off his IPL this year against Kolkata Knight Riders. "Bit of a motorsport fan in general. Back when I was younger, my dad and I used to sit down and watch some car races on a Sunday afternoon. And then there's Daniel Ricciardo being a Perth boy, where I'm from..."

A fan of just not F1, the Kings XI Punjab pacer also follows a bit of MotoGP and even local touring car series Supercars, built up on the famed rivalry of the Ford vs Holden battle and prodded by tribal fan loyalty on either side of the fence. Thankfully, Tye drives a Mercedes.

"My car's pretty quick but the Ford and Holden battle has reigned throughout the years, it's something that I have always watched as well," he adds.

His love for motorsport began at an early age, remembering the Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill title-deciding clash from the 1994 season-finale, when he used to watch it with his father. He was not even eight at the time. Some two decades later, he found himself in the Mercedes garage following the proceedings of the qualifying session for the British Grand Prix in 2016, around the time when he played for the Gloucestershire county cricket team.

"I was extremely lucky," he recalls. "I was in Lewis Hamilton's garage watching all the crew doing their work and stuff. I had one of the team headsets on so I was listening to all the team radio and everything... it's actually incredible insight into how everything works and how a qualifying session like that unfolds."

Hamilton, a five-time world champion, went on to claim pole position that day and bagged the race win on the following day. But Tye remains a fan of Kimi Raikkonen and also pledges his allegiance to home heroes - with his support reserved for Mark Webber and Daniel Ricciardo over the years.

"Some of the overtaking moves Ricciardo has done have been just incredible," the KXIP pacer points out, referring to the fellow Perth-native's late-braking yet smooth passing moves on track. "I have briefly met him once but it was more of a fan moment asking for a selfie so that was it. I haven't had a proper chance to meet him.

"All the best to him this year in the new team. Going to be hard but can just hope he keep fighting and keeps the Honey Badger ruling supreme!"