Toyota is bracing for the potential departure of Ryo Hirakawa to Formula 1, with Esteban Masson lined up as his replacement in the Hypercar squad. The move is under scrutiny ahead of the 2027 season, as the Japanese manufacturer awaits Haas's final decision on their driver lineup.
Hirakawa, currently Haas's reserve driver, is one of three names shortlisted to replace Esteban Ocon, who will leave the team at the end of the year. Ferrari reserve Rafael Camara and reigning F2 champion Leonardo Fornali are also in contention. However, no decision has been made, and Toyota must prepare for all scenarios.
Toyota technical director David Floury described promoting Masson to Hypercar as the "logical choice" if Hirakawa indeed moves to F1. "Obviously, Esteban is pretty much ready to step in. We are still discussing this, but obviously it would be a logical choice," Floury told Motorsport.com and other media.
Masson is no stranger to Toyota's radar. The young Frenchman drove the GR010 Hybrid for the first time at the Bahrain rookie test last November, before getting behind the wheel of the upgraded TR010 Hybrid at the Le Mans test day in June. He is currently fighting for the title in the European Le Mans Series, with two LMP2 podiums at Le Mans to his name. Toyota sees him as a future star being groomed for graduation.
However, Hirakawa's move to Haas is not certain. Camara, the F2 points leader, is increasingly viewed as the favourite to partner Oliver Bearman. Nevertheless, Hirakawa has completed several F1 tests this year through Haas's Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) programme, run in conjunction with Toyota. He has also tested for McLaren and Alpine in recent years, adding valuable experience.
Interestingly, rumours linking Ocon with a move to Toyota in WEC have been dismissed. "Rumours linking Ocon with Toyota in WEC are wide of the mark," it is understood. Toyota's focus now is on preparing the best possible squad should Hirakawa leave.
Toyota has long fielded one Japanese driver in each of its two WEC cars. Kamui Kobayashi, who also serves as team principal, represents Japan in the #7 car, while Hirakawa leads the #8 lineup after replacing Kazuki Nakajima, who moved into a management role. The last time Toyota didn't have a Japanese driver in one of its cars was in 2015, before signing Kobayashi for its LMP1 programme.
Floury did not rule out the possibility of a lineup without a Japanese driver next year, but stressed the importance of representation from the manufacturer's home nation. "For sure, it's important," he said. "But we have to see the situation. If Hirakawa leaves, we have Esteban ready. We will decide what's best for the team."
The final decision rests with Haas, who are expected to announce their drivers in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, Toyota continues to monitor developments and prepare for various scenarios. Whatever happens, Masson appears to be key to maintaining Toyota's strength in WEC.
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