Daniel Ricciardo praised from across the F1 world

Last week, Visa Cash App's RB F1 team officially announced that Daniel Ricciardo will be sidelined and Liam Lawson will slide into the seat for the remainder of the season. That means Lawson will be alongside Hiroki Tsunoda from next month's US Grand Prix as VCARB looks to thwart Haas in the fight for sixth place in the F1 Constructors' Championship.

The decision, and in particular how VCARB and Red Bull responded, sparked intense debate on social media and elsewhere. While Ricciardo's performances probably deserved this move, many believe that given all that Ricciardo has achieved in F1 and all the meaning he has given to this sport, it is perhaps appropriate for him to race in his beloved Austin. I believe he deserves to be sent off.

But the move also caused something else. That's a huge amount of support from across the sports world.

Ricciardo's former teammate at Renault, Esteban Ocon, praised the Australian driver in an Instagram post, calling him “a top guy and a great competitor.”

McLaren CEO Zac Brown, who was Ricciardo's boss during his time at McLaren, praised him as “a great guy to be around” and pointed out that Ricciardo has a tattoo from his last F1 victory.

VCARB teammate Hiroki Tsunoda praised Ricciardo and his F1 heritage.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner praised Ricciardo in a long message on Instagram. “From the moment you arrived at Red Bull it was clear that you were more than just a driver. Your constant enthusiasm, sense of humor and attitude will be indelible to the team here in Milton Keynes and throughout F1. You will leave a legacy without a legacy.

“Thank you for the victories, the smiles, the songs (and I wish I could say the shoes too). You will always be a special part of the Red Bull family.”

Pierre Gasly's message on Instagram:[o]Also included was a photo of Ricciardo arriving at the US Grand Prix on horseback, an iconic image in a career full of such moments.

One of the most heartfelt messages came from Lewis Hamilton, who posted a message on Instagram with a photo of the two of them shoehorned together on the podium.

And admiration for Ricciardo was not limited to the F1 grid. Ricardo's friendship with Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen is legendary and was the basis for this post from the NFL Australian account on Instagram.

Finally there was this. On Friday night, the NHL's Vegas Golden Knights faced off against the Utah Hockey Club in preseason action. During the first break, the team's social media accounts shared the following message:

At least for now, many people can.