Ryo Hirakawa described his Formula 1 debut at the Mexico City Grand Prix as a dream after a late call-up to Haas led to his first race start and, following post-race penalties for other drivers, a points finish.
The 32-year-old had already driven in Friday’s opening practice session as a designated rookie. Haas brought him in for Esteban Ocon on Saturday morning, and Hirakawa qualified 19th before moving up one place on the starting grid because of a penalty for Liam Lawson.
Hirakawa spent much of the 71-lap race at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in the midfield. He crossed the line 13th, having prioritised finishing and learning from the experience. Penalties for Oscar Piastri and Alpine drivers Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly subsequently promoted him to 10th, making him one of the drivers to score points on their F1 debut.
He said the start and first lap were challenging, and that he had taken extra care because his main goal was to complete the race. Hirakawa added that the car lacked pace during his first stint, but he gained confidence after the Safety Car period on C5 tyres and passed two cars.
Haas had not confirmed its driver line-up for the following weekend in Brazil. Hirakawa was originally scheduled to race for Toyota in the World Endurance Championship, where the title remained undecided. He said he wanted to savour the Mexico City experience, acknowledging that it might be his only Formula 1 start.
Sources: Formula 1.