Who is Esteban Ocon’s 'unknown' F1 replacement Ryo Hirakawa?
Esteban Ocon’s acrimonious exclusion from this weekend’s Mexico City GP has stolen the headlines, but little is known in the F1 world about his replacement, Ryo Hirakawa.
However, the 32-year-old grand prix debutant is a massively experienced racing veteran, already having won multiple world championships and taken significant race wins.
Waking up for a 5am run in Mexico on Saturday, the Japanese driver saw the shock text that Ocon was out, and he was in - his racing life taking another fascinating turn. Here’s the untold story of Ryo Hirakawa, F1’s newest race driver.
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Hirakawa has become involved with Haas through Toyota’s backing, with the Japanese manufacturer having a technical relationship with the Grand Prix team.
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However, the man from Hiroshima first joined Toyota’s driver development programme way back in 2013.
Having already won junior championships in Japan, Toyota supported Hirakawa’s move into the massively competitive Super Formula. It’s the country’s premier single-seater series and the world’s second-fastest form of circuit racing after F1.
He was soon racing in Japan’s Super GT sportscar championship too, and became overall champion in the series in 2017, driving a Lexus LC 500 with Kiwi star Nick Cassidy.
A year later and he was fighting for the title again against F1 legend Jenson Button following his Grand Prix retirement, and the Brit was full of praise for Hirakawa when reminiscing this weekend about their battle.
“Ryo's been around for a long time,” said Button, who clinched that 2018 Super GT title ahead of Hirakawa. “He's won multiple championships all around the world. Japan, obviously, in Super GT, but also in the World Endurance Championship.
“He's a top-level driver, and it's lovely that he's got this opportunity to show how good he is.”
As Button alluded to, Hirakawa’s success at home saw him promoted to Toyota’s Hypercar team for the 2022 World Endurance Championship, and he delivered immediately.
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Partnered with Brendon Hartley and Sebastien Buemi, the trio would win both the 2022 24 Hours of Le Mans and the WEC Drivers’ title.
“I couldn’t sleep for a week,” he said after the race. “It’s a kind of pressure I never felt. I hope I can sleep well tonight!”
Hirakawa would suffer heartbreak at Le Mans a year later, spinning off while chasing down the leading Ferrari in the dying minutes.
However, he and his teammates would win the championship again in 2023, and are leading the championship again this year.
All the while, Hirakawa and Toyota were working on getting his Grand Prix career kickstarted.
He joined McLaren as a development driver towards the end of 2023, before Toyota paid McLaren $3.5m for him to participate in the 2024 Abu Dhabi GP Free Practice 1.
Getting a taste of his fair share of F1 cars and factories, he then drove for Haas at the 2024 ‘Young Driver Test’, then joined Alpine as a reserve driver for 2025.
As Toyota’s relationship with Haas strengthened, though, he soon switched back and built up experience by driving older F1 machinery and taking part in a number of Free Practice sessions.
Then, when the Haas-Ocon relationship began to unravel in Mexico this weekend, Hirakawa was on hand to step in, already having taken part in Mexico Free Practice 1. Teams are obliged to hand over two practice sessions per car every season to a driver who has raced in two grands prix or less, with Hirakawa getting the nod.
“I woke up at like 5am because I had jet lag, and then almost went for a run because there's a nice park next to the hotel,” he said.
“But then I had a phone call that I'm gonna qualifying and race this weekend, and then [I thought] “I need to focus for for racing”. As soon as I arrive here, I prepare for FP3, quali, doing step-by-step what I can do, and so far I'm happy with that.”
Putting is Haas a respectable 19th out of 22 cars on the grid in Mexico, it’s already been a weekend like no other for Hirawaka.
The Toyota Hypercar man is set to drive at Monza in WEC next week, so this could be the only F1 race he ever competes in - one he’ll never forget.
Topics: Formula 1
James Elson