Who is Ryo Hirakawa, the ‘unknown’ driver stepping in for Esteban Ocon in F1?
Esteban Ocon’s sudden drop from this weekend’s Mexico City GP grabbed all the attention, but not many people in F1 know much about his replacement, Ryo Hirakawa.
At 32, Hirakawa is new to grand prix racing but is a very experienced driver, having won several world championships and big races already.
On Saturday morning in Mexico, the Japanese driver woke up early for a run and got a surprise text saying Ocon was out and he was in – turning his racing career in an exciting new direction. Here’s the story of Ryo Hirakawa, the newest F1 driver.
Hirakawa got involved with Haas thanks to Toyota’s support, as the Japanese company works closely with the team. But he first joined Toyota’s driver programme back in 2013.
After winning junior titles in Japan, Toyota helped him move up to Super Formula, Japan’s top single-seater series and one of the fastest racing categories after F1.
He also raced in Japan’s Super GT series, becoming champion in 2017 driving a Lexus LC 500 alongside Kiwi driver Nick Cassidy.
In 2018, he battled for the title again against former F1 star Jenson Button, who later praised Hirakawa’s skills.
“Ryo’s been racing a long time,” said Button. “He’s won many championships worldwide and is a top driver. It’s great he now has this chance to prove himself.”
Thanks to his success in Japan, Hirakawa joined Toyota’s Hypercar team for the 2022 World Endurance Championship and made an immediate impact.
Teaming up with Brendon Hartley and Sebastien Buemi, they won the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the WEC Drivers’ title that year.
“I couldn’t sleep for a week after the race,” Hirakawa said. “The pressure was huge. Hopefully, I can sleep better tonight!”
In 2023, he had a tough moment at Le Mans, spinning while chasing the leader, but still helped his team win the championship again. They’re also leading it this year.
All the while, Hirakawa and Toyota have been working on starting his F1 career. He joined McLaren as a development driver in late 2023, and Toyota even paid McLaren $3.5 million for him to take part in the 2024 Abu Dhabi GP Free Practice 1.
He then tested for Haas at the 2024 Young Driver Test and joined Alpine as a reserve driver for 2025. But as Toyota’s ties with Haas grew, he switched back to Haas, gaining experience by driving older F1 cars and doing more practice sessions.
When the Haas-Ocon situation fell apart in Mexico, Hirakawa was ready to step in, having already done Free Practice 1. Teams have to give two practice sessions per car each season to drivers with limited grand prix experience, and Hirakawa was chosen.
“I woke up around 5am with jet lag and almost went for a run near the hotel,” he said. “Then I got the call that I would be qualifying and racing this weekend. I told myself to focus on racing and prepared step-by-step for FP3 and qualifying. So far, I’m happy.”
Starting 19th out of 22 cars in Mexico, it’s already been a weekend unlike any other for Hirakawa.
As a Toyota Hypercar driver, he’s set to race at Monza in WEC next week, so this may be his only F1 race — one he’ll remember forever.