MEXICO CITY — In a stunning development at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Haas F1 Team has announced that Ryo Hirakawa will replace Esteban Ocon for the remainder of the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend. The 32-year-old will take over the cockpit of the VF-26 starting from final practice, setting the stage for a highly anticipated Formula 1 race debut this Sunday.
The sudden personnel change comes as a shock to the paddock. While Haas confirmed Ocon’s withdrawal from the event, the team explicitly stated that the Frenchman’s absence is not related to illness, leaving the door open to speculation regarding the circumstances of his departure. For Hirakawa, however, the opportunity represents the culmination of a long and decorated motorsport career.
Hirakawa is no stranger to the Haas garage. As part of the team’s mandatory rookie outings, he already completed a productive Free Practice 1 session on Friday, finishing 15th overall with a best lap time of 1:19.982. That outing was his third appearance in a Haas car this season, building upon the four sessions he logged with the American squad throughout 2024.
Joining the team as a reserve driver in 2025, Hirakawa brought with him a wealth of experience from previous reserve roles at McLaren and Alpine. His seat is also a symbolic representation of the team’s deepening technical partnership with Toyota Gazoo Racing. Outside of the F1 paddock, Hirakawa is a titan of endurance racing. A frontline factory driver for Toyota, he is a former 24 Hours of Le Mans winner and a three-time FIA World Endurance Championship titleholder, having secured back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023 before clinching his third crown this year.
By taking the start on Sunday for the 71-lap contest, Hirakawa will enter the history books as the second-oldest rookie driver of the 21st century. He sits behind only Andre Lotterer, who famously made his F1 debut for Caterham at the 2014 Belgian Grand Prix at the age of 32 years and 264 days.
As Hirakawa prepares for his maiden Grand Prix start, he will be partnered alongside team-mate Oliver Bearman. The pairing represents a unique blend of youth and veteran experience for Haas. While the circumstances behind Ocon’s withdrawal remain shrouded in mystery, the focus for the remainder of the weekend will inevitably shift to whether the Japanese endurance star can translate his extensive prototype experience into points-scoring pace around the high-altitude Mexican circuit.
With final practice set to commence, all eyes will be on the No. 20 car as the veteran rookie prepares for the biggest challenge of his career.
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