Doohan replaced by Hirakawa at Alpine for Suzuka FP1
Toyota WEC driver to make second career F1 practice outing and first since joining Alpine
Ryo Hirakawa will drive Jack Doohan’s Alpine in opening practice for this weekend’s 2025 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka.
The Toyota World Endurance Championship champion has joined Alpine as a reserve driver for the season after fulfilling the same role at McLaren last year.
Hirakawa made his F1 weekend debut at the 2024 Abu Dhabi GP, replacing Oscar Piastri in a McLaren MCL38.
“I'm very excited, I can’t wait to drive the A525 in Free Practice 1 this weekend,” the Japanese driver said in an Alpine team statement, as he fulfills the first of four mandatory rookie outings in grands prix per team this year – two in each car.
“I’m looking back to 18 years ago to 2007, the first time I went to watch the Japanese Grand Prix, it was a different track, Fuji, but it was Formula 1 in Japan. Since then, I started my racing career and now to drive during the weekend is going to be a dream come true, I just can’t wait.
Ryo Hirakawa, Alpine
Photo by: Pirelli
“I have got everything prepared, we did simulator work in Enstone a few days ago and I’m going to enjoy the moment.
“Hopefully the weather is good, it will be a short session, but I will enjoy it and do my best for the team to hopefully input some direction on set-up. I just want to add my appreciation to everyone at the team for the opportunity and support.”
Doohan, who has started his rookie season under considerable pressure due to Alpine stockpiling reserve drivers, including ex-Williams racer Franco Colapinto, acknowledged that Hirakawa “has a lot of experience here so it will be good to take some of that knowledge for the weekend”.
Hirakawa raced in Japan’s Super Formula between 2013 and 2023 – the national single-seater championship that hits F1 speeds and races multiple times a year at Suzuka.
Motorsport.com understands that Hirakawa left McLaren’s reserve driver fold to join Alpine because he was offered a better shot at one day making an F1 bow as Piastri and Lando Norris are locked up at McLaren for several years.
Hirakawa is a double WEC champion with Toyota, with which he won the 2022 Le Mans 24 Hours at the very start of the championship’s Hypercar era.
His Toyota deal also means he is an unofficial reserve driver for Haas, which has a technical partnership with the Japanese manufacturer, and has completed F1 end-of-season and Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) running for the American squad in recent months.
Share Or Save This Story
Who is Kimi Antonelli, F1 sprint polesitter at just 18?
Why Bottas has the edge over Perez in 2026 F1 return race
What if Red Bull solved its second-car problem with a paint job?
All nine F1 rookies taking part in Mexico GP FP1
Toyota drivers predict faster lap times and “plenty of fighting” ahead at Le Mans
Hirakawa explains Alpine exit, responds to limited opportunity claims after Colapinto signing
Alpine’s 2026 F1 form no surprise to Racing Bulls
Oliver Bearman blames Franco Colapinto for F1 Japanese GP crash
Forget the terrible luck; Colapinto's tenacious Shanghai drive deserves credit
Gio Ruggiero wins ARCA Kansas race after run-in with Dystany Spurlock
Driver dies after multi-car ADAC 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers crash
Cleetus McFarland's top ten ARCA run at Kansas goes up in smoke
IMSA to keep BoP tables public despite WEC move
The political shift that will determine F1's next engine formula
Is it now or never for Russell in hunt for F1 title?
The top 11 lost F1 victories after the flag
The remnant of the V10 era in F1's previous switch to V8 engines
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments