Following his practice session at the Japanese Grand Prix, the Haas F1 team has recruited Ryo Hirakawa, a former Alpine reserve and Le Mans 24 Hours winner, as its own reserve driver.
Hirakawa replaced Alpine’s Jack Doohan in FP1 at Suzuka, partnering Pierre Gasly in his maiden F1 race of the season, but has since left the team.
Haas did not nominate an official backup driver for 2025, but it has previously called on Ferrari when one was required, such as in ’24, when Ollie Bearman replaced Kevin Magnussen twice, with Bearman being a Ferrari protege.
Hirakawa is a Toyota-backed driver who won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2022 alongside former Formula One racers Brendon Hartley and Sebastien Buemi.
He is also a two-time WEC champion, having won the 2022 and 2023 titles.
Crucially, Hirakawa, who drove for Haas in the 2024 post-season Abu Dhabi test, has never started a grand prix, making him eligible for the necessary FP1 rookie driver sessions that each team is required to participate in.
For 2025, the number of FP1 sessions for rookie drivers has been doubled to four, with two per vehicle, with Bearman ineligible for his rookie season after competing in three races in 2024, with two being the limit to be classified as a rookie.
Haas has stated that Hirakawa will participate in all four of these sessions, beginning this weekend in Bahrain and continuing in Mexico, while Esteban Ocon will take a break between Spain and Abu Dhabi.
