Esteban Ocon withdraws from Mexican Grand Prix

Esteban Ocon will not compete in the remainder of the Mexican Grand Prix. Haas has announced that he will be replaced by Ryo Hirakawa, who will make his Formula 1 race debut at the age of 32.

Last-minute change at Haas

Last-minute changes have occurred at Haas for the Mexican Grand Prix. The American team confirmed that Esteban Ocon would no longer participate in the rest of the weekend, with the steering wheel being handed over to Japanese driver Ryo Hirakawa starting from the third free practice session.

Ryo Hirakawa's debut details

This decision means that the 32-year-old reserve driver will compete in his first qualifying session and his first Formula 1 Grand Prix on the Hermanos Rodríguez circuit. Haas has not communicated the precise reasons for Ocon's absence, but indicated that his withdrawal was not related to illness.

Hirakawa's role in the race

Ryo Hirakawa will therefore take the wheel of the VF-26 from the third free practice session, before participating in qualifying and Sunday's race, which will be run over 71 laps. He will be joined by Oliver Bearman, who retains his position in the second monoplace of the American team.

Hirakawa's prior experience

The Japanese driver already has some experience driving the Haas, as he had participated in the first free practice sessions on Friday. Competing within the sessions reserved for rookie drivers, he finished 15th with a best time of 1:19.982.

Unusual circumstances for the change

His replacement of Esteban Ocon, however, occurs under unusual circumstances. Haas having provided no additional explanation, the exact reasons for this decision remain unknown at this stage.

Regulation-driven change

Following his participation in the first free practice session of the Mexican Grand Prix on Friday in the place of Esteban Ocon, Ryo Hirakawa will replace the Frenchman for the rest of the weekend and experience his first race in a Formula 1 car. The Haas team must revise its plans.

Team's compliance with rules

During the first free practice session of the Mexican Grand Prix, the American team fielded Ryo Hirakawa in the car usually assigned to Esteban Ocon. This replacement is directly linked to the obligation to reserve four sessions for a "young driver," meaning a driver who has not participated in more than two Grand Prix in their career.

Ocon's early exit

Although the Norman was thus able to participate in the second free practice session of the Mexican Grand Prix with the 13th time ahead of his teammate Oliver Bearman, his Latin American weekend will end prematurely. Indeed, through a statement, the Haas team announced that Esteban Ocon will not be fielded this Saturday with his replacement who is already ready.

Hirakawa's background

The Haas team announced that its reserve driver, Ryo Hirakawa, will replace Esteban Ocon for the rest of the Mexican Grand Prix weekend. As a result, the Japanese driver will team up with his teammate Ollie Bearman during the EL3 and qualifying sessions on Saturday, then during the 71-lap Grand Prix on Sunday and will thus make his racing debut in Formula 1.

Hirakawa's racing history

After being part of McLaren and then Alpine in recent years, the native of Kure is taking advantage of the close ties between Toyota and the Haas team to gain experience driving the cars, as he is a recognized specialist in endurance racing.

Endurance racing achievements

The 32-year-old driver, who won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2022 and finished on the podium in Sarthe last June with third place, has already been crowned three-time world endurance champion alongside Brandon Hartley and Sébastien Buemi.

Team's silence on reasons

The Haas team did not wish to go into detail regarding the reason that is pushing Esteban Ocon to withdraw from the Mexican Grand Prix in a context of an already announced end to the season. No further comments will be made at this time, thus concluded the American team.

Possible influence of illness

However, several drivers have already been ill since the start of the weekend, notably Andrea Kimi Antonelli or Sergio Pérez, who had to withdraw from certain activities on Thursday. This could have played a role concerning the Norman driver.