When $500M worth Shaquille O'Neal took a unique ride to give Max Verstappen his US GP trophy

NBA Legend Shaquille O'Neal had previously grabbed everyone's attention when he came in an eye-catching vehicle to present the trophy to Max Verstappen at the 2021 US Grand Prix in Austin, Texas. The race proved to be a pivotal point in the 2021 title battle as Red Bull was able to take the win over their rival Mercedes on a track that the German team had previously dominated on.

The Dutch driver was able to resist the late race charge from the seven-time world champion and rival Lewis Hamilton to win his first race in the USA. However, apart from the intense battle on the track, it was NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal's entry in a convertible car that grabbed the headlines.

In a clip floating on social media, the former LA Lakers and Miami Heat player worth $500 million, can be seen coming in a car that had bull horns at the front and a sofa as seats inside it.

The four-time NBA champion also presented the trophies to Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, and Sergio Perez as he towered over them given his frame. He looked almost as tall as the Red Bull driver, despite the latter standing on top of a podium.

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Max Verstappen previews the 2024 US Grand Prix this weekend

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen stated that it was time for the team to refocus as the sport returned to drag action after a three-week break to the US Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, this weekend.

As per Pitpass, the three-time world champion said:

"We have had a few weeks away from racing, giving us time to refocus and work hard on our performance ahead of the United States Grand Prix. We have made some changes to the car to hopefully better suit this circuit, so will see if this makes us more competitive when we head out on track. This week will be another hectic Sprint race, with a lot planned over the weekend.

Verstappen further added:

"Austin is a really cool city and the atmosphere at the track is like no other. I will be back in my US helmet for this race, which is a tribute to the passionate fans here and features the skyline of all three US cities that we are racing in. We have a lot of good memories here, so we are looking forward to heading back and racing there this week."

Max Verstappen has won the previous three editions of the race at the Circuit of the Americas, including the sprint weekend last year, where he started the main race from P6. He would hope for a similar result this weekend as well, given that he has failed to register arrays ever since the Spanish GP in late June.