Haas to Give Le Mans Winner Hirakawa Latest FP1 Outing

Haas has confirmed that Ryo Hirakawa will stand in for Esteban Ocon during first practice at the Austrian Grand Prix, handing the 2022 Le Mans winner his first Formula 1 track time of the 2026 season. The Japanese driver will pilot the VF-26 at the Red Bull Ring as the American squad begins working through its mandatory rookie session quota.

Why it matters:

Rookie FP1 outings remain one of the few opportunities for teams to gather live data from fresh eyes and evaluate reserve talent under true Grand Prix weekend conditions. For Haas, giving Hirakawa seat time in Ocon's car provides a valuable benchmark against its established race drivers and expands the team's internal feedback loop. The session also keeps the Japanese driver sharp after a busy 2025 campaign in which he completed all four of Haas's required rookie runs, adding to previous experience with Alpine and McLaren.

The details:

• Hirakawa will take over Ocon's machine for the entire FP1 session in Austria, making it his seventh career appearance in an official Formula 1 practice.
• He previously drove for Haas in all four of its 2025 mandatory rookie sessions and added a fifth outing for Alpine in Japan that same year.
• The Japanese driver's record also includes a 2024 Abu Dhabi GP practice run with McLaren, giving him a rare multi-team perspective among current reserves.
• Hirakawa is a proven sportscar champion, having claimed outright victory at the 2022 Le Mans 24 Hours, and brings significant endurance racing pedigree to the VF-26 cockpit.
• He will be joined by fellow rookies Paul Aron at Audi, Luke Browning at Williams, and Jak Crawford at Aston Martin during the Austrian GP weekend.

What's next:

With three more mandatory rookie sessions remaining on Haas's 2026 calendar, Hirakawa's performance at the Red Bull Ring could influence whether he secures additional outings later in the season. A strong showing would bolster his credentials within the team's driver development program at a time when squads are already beginning to weigh their options for the 2027 grid.