A stunning Formula 1 debut weekend for Ryo Hirakawa with the Haas squad at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez left the stand-in driver wondering what could have been. Stepping in to replace Esteban Ocon, the Japanese racer firmly believes his pace was strong enough to comfortably secure a spot in the second phase of qualifying for the Mexico City Grand Prix, only for late-session traffic to shatter his aspirations.
Working closely with race engineer Laura Mueller inside the garage, the two-time World Endurance Championship titleholder displayed impressive speed by posting a personal-best first sector. However, the momentum was abruptly halted in the sweeping middle corners when he encountered Alex Albon, causing a significant loss of crucial aerodynamic downforce. The traffic woes compounded further in the final sequence of the lap as he ran up behind Franco Colapinto.
"I had traffic from Turn 6 and also high-speed sections, so I lost a lot of downforce," Hirakawa reflected on the frustrating end to his session. "I could have easily made it to Q2, which is a very, very big shame for me, but still it's nice to be here, so I can't complain much." He noted that the tricky ambient conditions required an intricate balance between pushing hard and managing tyre degradation through the third sector.
Despite being thrust into the cockpit on short notice and reshaping his entire run program from FP3 onwards, Hirakawa's rapid adaptation has turned heads up and down the paddock. Rather than dwelling on his impending WEC title showdown in Monza next week, his sole priority heading into Sunday's lights-out is executing a clean getaway off the line and surviving the tricky opening complex.
"I'm just focused on tomorrow, nothing to discuss for next week. Let's see what we can do for tomorrow. The plan is a good start, a good first corner and a lot of new things, so just execute and do my best," Hirakawa concluded as he prepares for his maiden Grand Prix start.
Read Also
F1 keluarkan aturan ketat standar berkendara jelang GP Meksiko demi cegah insiden lap pertama. Simak analisis mendalam di sini.
Max Verstappen sesalkan gangguan trafik Lando Norris di kualifikasi GP Meksiko. Simak analisis lengkap dan posisi start terbarunya di sini.
Charles Leclerc sesalkan kesalahan di Q3 dan kesulitan ban lunak usai amankan posisi ketiga di GP Meksiko 2026. Baca analisis mendalam di sini.
Continue with Google
Discussion (0)
Join the Discussion!
Sign in easily to start commenting, replying, and interacting with other readers.
Latest Comments
No comments yet. Be the first!