Ryo Hirakawa: Who Is the Veteran Driver Set to Make a Surprise Debut in Mexico?
A surprise twist over the Mexican Grand Prix weekend: Ryo Hirakawa will replace Esteban Ocon behind the wheel of the Haas for the remainder of the weekend, starting with the third free practice session. The Japanese driver will also partner Ollie Bearman in Saturday’s qualifying and Sunday’s race, making his official Formula 1 debut. Born in 1994, he had already driven the VF-26 in Friday’s first free practice session, but never in an actual race in the premier open-wheel series.
Born in Hiroshima on March 7, 1994, Hirakawa has spent much of his career away from Formula 1, establishing himself primarily in endurance racing and Japanese championships. His list of achievements includes two World Endurance Championship titles in the Hypercar class, won in 2022 and 2023, and, most notably, victory at the 2022 24 Hours of Le Mans behind the wheel of a Toyota. Before making his mark in the WEC, he also won the Super GT title in the GT500 class in 2017, gaining experience in Super Formula as well.
The partnership between Haas and Toyota Gazoo Racing played a key role in his move to Formula 1. The technical partnership, launched in 2024 and upgraded to a title partnership in 2026, also included development programs and driving opportunities for drivers affiliated with the Japanese brand. Already a Toyota driver in the WEC, Hirakawa became a reserve driver for the American team in 2025, thereby paving a concrete path to Formula 1.
However, there remains no official explanation for the decision to replace Ocon during the current race weekend. In the press release announcing the change, the team did not provide any reasons. It is therefore impossible to determine whether the decision is linked to personal or technical reasons, or to other internal considerations. In any case, this opens up an important opportunity for the Japanese driver: after years of success in endurance racing and several appearances in free practice sessions with McLaren, Alpine, and Haas itself, he will finally be able to compete in a Formula 1 Grand Prix.
