That said, sometimes a weekend takes a wild, completely unexpected turn. Haas dropped the news on Saturday morning that Ryo Hirakawa would step into the car to replace Esteban Ocon for the Mexico City Grand Prix. The team offered no further comment on the reasons for the switch, leaving the paddock scrambling while the Japanese driver suddenly prepared for his Formula 1 debut.
Everything happened in a blur. Hirakawa had already logged his ninth appearance in a Free Practice 1 session on Friday for the American team, fulfilling the regulatory requirement where full-time racers must make way for a rookie twice a season. Having previously run for Haas, Alpine, and McLaren since 2024, he was no stranger to the machinery, but this was entirely different. He was thrust into FP3 before heading straight into Qualifying.
"Obviously was a very big surprise this morning but I'm always here to be a reserve driver," Hirakawa said when reflecting on the whirlwind hours. "This is a role for myself, I was ready but always dreaming about it. Today, dream come true. Qualifying today, race tomorrow. Just these 12 hours passed so fast, have so much to prepare and the team helped a lot for myself. Really thanks to the team."
Despite the chaos, the 32-year-old managed to put the car through its paces, though his afternoon hit a frustrating snag in the opening knockout segment. He qualified in P19 after hitting traffic on his final push lap, cutting short what could have been a cleaner run.
"For [the] race, lots to prepare to be honest," he added. "But today was [the] main focus to go through Q1, which was a shame for me, I had traffic in the last push lap. It was very [much a] shame but everything went well and I just need to focus for tomorrow on the race. Very excited for that."
Before this insane 12-hour turnaround, Hirakawa's racing life belonged firmly to endurance racing. He is a two-time champion and a winner of the 2022 Le Mans 24 Hours as a driver for Toyota in the World Endurance Championship (WEC). In fact, he remains in contention to win the WEC title next weekend at Monza.
As for what happens after the checkered flag drops in Mexico, any decision about who will race for Haas in Brazil next weekend is yet to be confirmed.
F1
F1
F1
