The Haas Formula 1 team has made the shock decision to replace Esteban Ocon with reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa for the remainder of the Mexico Grand Prix weekend. Hirakawa will act as Oliver Bearman’s team-mate for final practice, qualifying, and Sunday’s race, having also taken over the VF-26 on Friday morning as part of the rookie mandate for FP1 sessions.
Ocon returned for second practice, finishing 13th, but caused a stir following his spat with race engineer Laura Mueller over whether to stick to the soft tyres or switch to medium rubber. Following this tension, the team swiftly opted for a major driver lineup change for the rest of the event at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
A Haas statement read: “Ryo Hirakawa will replace Esteban Ocon for the remainder of the weekend’s Mexico City Grand Prix. Ryo participated in FP1 on Friday, his third free practice outing of the season driving the VF-26, finishing 15th overall. The Japanese driver will partner team-mate Ollie Bearman through final practice, qualifying, and Sunday’s 71-lap grand prix—marking Ryo's Formula 1 race debut.”
Hirakawa’s F1 debut will come at the age of 32. He spent much of his career in Japan, becoming the 2017 Super GT champion, before moving to the World Endurance Championship. He has claimed two WEC titles with Toyota, alongside victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours, and that relationship with the Japanese marque earned him a move to Haas as its reserve driver.
For Ocon, it marks a striking resemblance to how his Alpine stint ended, as he was replaced ahead of a season finale. Motorsport.com understands the French driver is likely to become Aston Martin’s reserve, following a disappointing time since joining Haas where he was comfortably beaten by his teammate.
Baca Juga
Esteban Ocon mendadak digantikan Ryo Hirakawa di sisa GP Meksiko. Simak kronologi lengkap dan analisis ketegangan di garasi Haas di sini.
Haas secara mengejutkan menggantikan Esteban Ocon dengan Ryo Hirakawa di GP Meksiko. Simak analisis lengkap dan berita terbaru di sini.
Haas secara mengejutkan mendepak Esteban Ocon dan menunjuk Ryo Hirakawa untuk sisa GP Meksiko. Simak analisis lengkap dan kronologinya di sini.
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