Haas replaces Esteban Ocon for the F1 Mexico Grand Prix.
The Haas Formula 1 team has made the surprising choice to substitute Esteban Ocon with reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa for the rest of the Mexico Grand Prix weekend.
Hirakawa will join Oliver Bearman as his teammate for the final practice, qualifying, and Sunday’s race, having also driven Ocon’s VF-26 on Friday morning as part of the rookie requirement for FP1 sessions.
Ocon returned for the second practice, finishing in 13th place, but sparked controversy after his disagreement with race engineer Laura Mueller regarding whether to continue with the soft tyres or switch to medium rubber.
A statement from Haas read: “Ryo Hirakawa will take the place of Esteban Ocon for the remaining days of the Mexico City Grand Prix.
“Ryo competed in FP1 at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on Friday, marking his third free practice session of the season in the VF-26, where he finished 15th overall.
“The Japanese driver will team up with Ollie Bearman during the final practice and qualifying on Saturday, as well as the 71-lap grand prix on Sunday – signifying Ryo's debut in Formula 1 racing.
“No further statements will be released at this moment.”
Ryo Hirakawa, Haas F1 Team
Hirakawa’s F1 debut will occur at the age of 32. He has spent a significant portion of his career in Japan, becoming the Super GT champion in 2017, before transitioning to the World Endurance Championship.
He has secured two WEC titles with Toyota, including a win at the Le Mans 24 Hours, and his connection with the Japanese manufacturer led to his position as Haas’s reserve driver in 2025.
This came after Toyota and Haas established a technical partnership, allowing him to participate in seven FP1 sessions and positioning him as a contender for a 2027 F1 seat - only to ultimately be surpassed by Rafael Camara.
For Ocon – who is expected to be succeeded by Camara – this mirrors the conclusion of his time with Alpine in 2024, when he was replaced by Jack Doohan for the Abu Dhabi finale.
The 30-year-old Frenchman is anticipated to become Aston Martin’s reserve in 2027, according to Motorsport.com, following a lackluster period since joining Haas in 2025 – where he was decisively outperformed by Bearman.
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