Ricciardo stands by young McLaren fan bullied and bruised

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Daniel Ricciardo is as relaxed as they come in F1, but the McLaren driver will get Aussie tough to defend one of the team's own, be it just a young fan.

A concerning parent posted a message on Twitter yesterday along with a picture of her 10-year-old son, Luis, who had been bullied and bruised in the street and also had his McLaren cap stomped on and stolen.

"Can I just take a moment to say BULLYING IS NOT OK. My 10-year-old son is at a breaking point due to bullying," wrote @ChaoticCoopers.

"They stole and stamped on his @McLarenF1 hat – one of his favourite things and left him looking like this @LandoNorris @danielricciardo #stopbullying #BeKind."

Ricciardo responded to the tweet in short order with a few words of relief and encouragement, and a promise to send a new McLaren cap the young fan's way.

"Sorry to hear this, but don’t stress buddy. Makes you look tough!" said the Honey Badger. "Bullies are the weak ones, don’t forget that. I’ll sort you out with a new hat and some other goodies. Stay up lil homie."

Needless to say, the response triggered a massive wave of support for Luis that overwhelmed the family.

"Luis is buzzing you have replied – thank you!!! As upset as he is about the hat I can replace it but I can't replace his childhood – Hope some conversations can begin to stop bullying, that's all I wanted – Living the Mum life."

Following Danny Ric's message, McLaren itself came forward to offer Luis its support, and an antidote of sorts to the young fan's pain.

Someone might be going on a field trip to Woking this summer…

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.