Getting Shaq to deliver the winner’s trophy to Max Verstappen in a Longhorn-themed Cadillac was one thing:

But just look at how utterly brilliant the size comparison is between The Big Aristotle, Lewis Hamilton, Max and Sergio Perez:

It’s just hilarious to look at, Shaq is such a unit that he’s taller than Lewis and Checo while they’re standing on the rostrum.

I’m pretty sure they tried getting Shaq off the podium before the Dutch and Austrian anthems, but he just kept standing there, because he’s the frikkin’ Diesel and he can do anything he wants except shoot a free throw, and I think FOM were so intimidated they gave Shaq the win post-race and made Max give him the trophy:

Absolutely superb cross-promotional work between Formula One Management/Liberty Media and the NBA, and in my worthless opinion, it’s one of the greatest out of context Formula 1 photos of the modern age:

Which leads us to this photoshop:

In 20 years time, we’ll look back on this race for the record crowd at Austin, and the duel between Verstappen and Hamilton, and we’ll see the podium and think ‘Yep, THAT did happen.’