Haas drops Esteban Ocon from Mexican GP, Ryo Hirakawa makes F1 race debut

A late change at Haas

Haas announced on Saturday, 31 October, that its reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa will replace Esteban Ocon for the rest of the Mexican Grand Prix weekend. In a short statement, the team said no further comments would be made for the time being and gave no reason for the decision. It also said the Frenchman is not ill, a clarification that matters because several drivers, including Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes, had been excused from media commitments on 29 and 30 October because they did not feel well. The change was announced shortly before the third practice session, and Hirakawa will line up alongside Ollie Bearman from that session through qualifying and the race on Sunday.

Silence over the reason

The team has not explained the switch, and paddock reporting so far offers only hypotheses. Adnkronos reports that Ocon will not continue at Haas next season, when his seat is expected to go to Brazilian driver Rafael Camara, and that a strained internal situation is among the most credible explanations. Ocon had voiced his displeasure over certain strategic decisions over the team radio during Friday's practice, according to the same report. Both sides had already said weeks ago that they would part ways at the end of the season, and LaSexta described the tension as having escalated. Ocon also lost his Alpine seat early in 2024, when he had to make way for Jack Doohan at the Abu Dhabi finale.

Hirakawa's route to the grid

Hirakawa, 32, won the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2022 and 2023 and took the 24 Hours of Le Mans overall with Toyota in 2022. Focus reports that he raced in Japan's Super GT series before moving to the WEC, and that he has been a Haas reserve driver since 2025. On Friday he drove the first practice session in the Haas VF-26 and finished 15th of 22 participants, about half a second slower than Bearman according to NOS. That was already his third practice outing of the season, and NOS notes that Toyota, the manufacturer behind his Le Mans win, is a partner of Haas F1.

Hirakawa is set to make his Formula 1 race debut in the 71-lap Mexican Grand Prix on Sunday, 1 November. Haas is the only team named in the statements, and Ocon's exit from the team at the end of the season was already known before this weekend.

What comes next

Haas has not said whether the change is temporary or a permanent break, and its statement gave no indication beyond the Mexican weekend. Ocon will not take part in the remaining practice, qualifying or the race. The Formula 1 circus then travels to Brazil in the week of 2 November, according to NOS.