Ryo Hirakawa’s transfer to Alpine as a take a look at and reserve driver was overshadowed by the information that ex-Williams racer Franco Colapinto has been appointed for a similar function on Thursday. Past apparent questions as to why Alpine selected to have three drivers for a place normally held by a single up-and-coming junior, its resolution to rent 30-year-old Hirakawa was additionally curious.
In Colapinto it has a plug-and-play driver with latest F1 expertise who can step in in case of an emergency, or if the early efficiency of rookie Jack Doohan proves unsatisfactory. Likewise, with Paul Aron, it has an opportunity to hone the expertise of a teenager who carried out exceptionally nicely in his rookie F2 season in 2024.
There are additionally different members in its junior academy who’re ready within the wings, together with Victor Martins and Kush Maini. So the place precisely does Hirakawa match within the equation? And what’s in it for the Japanese driver?
Hirakawa has had an uncommon path to worldwide recognition, actually compared together with his European counterparts. When Toyota wanted a brand new driver from its residence nation to exchange the retiring Kazuki Nakajima for the World Endurance Championship in 2022, it had loads of choices to select from its home portfolio, but it surely was 2017 Tremendous GT champion Hirakawa who obtained the nod.
Amongst different elements, what labored in Hirakawa’s favour was his quick however confirmed observe document in delivering outcomes overseas. Tremendous Formulation and Tremendous GT’s prime drivers are practically unbeatable when on residence turf, however a lot of them merely battle to carry out on the identical degree when positioned exterior their consolation zone. Hirakawa was not solely speedy in Japan’s home collection, however he had proven that he might be fast in worldwide competitors, having scored three wins in 9 races within the European Le Mans Sequence and helped G-Drive take the title in 2017. He had sufficient expertise of multi-class sportscar racing, but was younger sufficient to kind a part of Toyota’s long-term plans.
Toyota’s religion in Hirakawa paid off as he was on top of things by crucial spherical of the yr, Le Mans, and the #8 GR010 HYBRID received that yr’s Hypercar title along with Brendon Hartley and Sebastien Buemi. The trio repeated their WEC success the next yr, however a second triumph at Le Mans went begging after Hirakawa spun within the penultimate hour. Toyota later revealed he had not been instructed a couple of brake setting change within the staff’s late push to grab victory from Ferrari.
Hirakawa grew to become simply the fifth Japanese winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2022 and is a key cog in Toyota’s WEC programme, however has F1 ambitions too
Picture by: Nikolaz Godet
For most individuals, success within the WEC – particularly in a golden age of producer competitors – could be sufficient, however Hirakawa clearly had bigger ambitions. It’s why in the direction of the top of 2023 there was a shock announcement from McLaren that he had joined the staff as a reserve driver. The function has seen him drive the MCL35 (2020) and MCL36 (2022) below the TPC laws within the final two years, whereas he additionally made his follow debut in Abu Dhabi in December.
Then, in October final yr, Toyota signed a technical partnership with Haas in F1, which paved the way in which for Hirakawa’s outing with the VF-24 within the Abu Dhabi rookie take a look at final month – days after he had pushed the title-winning McLaren. Given the brand new relationship between Toyota and Haas, it was secure to conclude that Hirakawa would ultimately go away McLaren and be part of the American-flagged staff sooner or later sooner or later.
This is able to have been helpful for Toyota as nicely, because it may set up its ‘personal man’ to assist develop TGR engineers, mechanics and even up-and-coming drivers. After all, that was considered one of Toyota’s foremost targets whereas asserting its ‘return’ to F1 for the primary time since its works staff pulled out after 2009.
Hirakawa fancies his personal possibilities, nonetheless small they’re, of becoming a member of the F1 grid in 2025. Additionally by signing a take care of Alpine, Hirakawa is now his personal man
However clearly, Hirakawa doesn’t see a long-term future for himself at Haas. Esteban Ocon has a multi-year deal starting in 2025, whereas Oliver Bearman has already proved his credentials in F1, that means a emptiness is unlikely to open up for some time. At the least not till Bearman is ripe for a commencement to Ferrari.
So when Alpine got here calling over the winter break, an opportunity to doubtlessly break into F1 was exhausting to refuse. There have been a variety of rumours about the way forward for its new signing Jack Doohan following an under-the-radar debut at Yas Marina, with some suggesting that he may not make it to the top of the 2025 season. Even Alpine admitted that signing Colapinto in its roster provides him the “finest probability of securing a race seat in 2025 or 2026”, lending additional credence to the notion that Doohan’s seat is just not safe past the opening lot of races.
“I wasn’t glad with simply driving in FP1 at Abu Dhabi final yr. My final objective is to compete in F1 as a full-time driver,” he stated on the Tokyo Auto Salon.
With that in thoughts, Hirakawa fancies his personal possibilities, nonetheless small they’re, of becoming a member of the F1 grid in 2025. Additionally by signing a take care of Alpine, Hirakawa is now his personal man – whereas nonetheless contracted to Toyota – and may pursue his ambitions independently.
Hirakawa appeared for Haas in rookie take a look at and was anticipated to have an even bigger function in future as a part of Toyota’s tie-up with the staff
Picture by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Pictures
Toyota as at all times is blissful to heed to the needs of Hirakawa, though not having him at Haas is a small setback for the producer. The world’s largest automaker, with its Japanese mentality, has by no means stood in the way in which of its drivers; in recent times it has allowed Hartley and Kamui Kobayashi, Hirakawa’s team-mates in WEC, to race for Cadillac and even rival Honda’s Acura model within the Daytona 24 Hours.
“We obtained a proposal immediately from Alpine concerning Hirakawa,” Toyota’s international motorsport director Masaya Kaji instructed Motorsport.com Japan. “We now have labored with groups like McLaren and Haas previously. Nonetheless, for this provide, we selected to prioritise Hirakawa’s needs. He expressed his need to problem himself as a driver and goal for a daily seat, so we determined to help him in pursuing this path.”
Hirakawa has upped his recreation since he first stepped into the WEC three years in the past. His 2024 marketing campaign was simply one of the best of his quick stint in Hypercar and performed a small function in Toyota defending its producer crown in opposition to stern opposition from Ferrari and Porsche. He additionally relocated to Monaco final yr, like a number of different drivers from Europe and elsewhere, and is now fluent in English. Clearly, he now not sees himself as a home racing driver.
Even Toyota admits that Hirakawa doesn’t need to accept a ‘third driver’ function now that he has confirmed himself internationally.
“Finally, ending his profession as a reserve driver is just not an choice,” Kaji stated. “Whereas pursuing a daily seat has at all times been the objective, this chance with Alpine aligns with Hirakawa’s ambition to tackle new challenges. It’s not that his method has essentially modified however reasonably that he’s making a strategic option to additional his profession by specializing in one of the best alternative to safe a seat.”
One can argue that Hirakawa’s F1 ambitions are unlikely to realize something, particularly now that Colapinto is within the image at Alpine. It’s unclear if he was even conscious that the French outfit was speaking to the ex-Williams racer when he put pen to paper for a reserve function.
It’s additionally price stating that Hirakawa has stopped racing in his residence nation to pursue greater targets. He had already stepped down from Tremendous GT following his entry into Toyota’s Hypercar line-up, and he additionally left Tremendous Formulation after 2023 as he struck the F1 take care of McLaren. So by growing a faint hope of racing in F1, Hirakawa has given up the possibility of accumulating titles in his homeland.
Whereas he already has a GT500 championship below his belt with Lexus from 2017, Hirakawa – for all his expertise – has by no means managed to carry the trophy in Tremendous Formulation. The closest he got here to profitable the last word prize was in 2020, when he arguably ought to have scored a Tremendous Formulation/Tremendous GT double and not using a late stroke of dangerous luck.
Hirakawa impressed McLaren together with his tempo in Abu Dhabi FP1 outing
Picture by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Pictures
Whereas he could have fewer trophies from home competitors in his cupboard, it’s additionally true that working behind the scenes with a staff like McLaren is likely one of the explanation why Hirakawa has grow to be such a potent drive within the WEC. The instruments employed in F1 are on a unique degree, and this analytical method has drastically improved Hirakawa’s driving in different classes.
Hirakawa’s work at McLaren hasn’t gone unnoticed, with the staff praising each his velocity and work ethic through the restricted mileage he obtained in its grand prix automobiles. So the choice to hyperlink up with an F1 staff has clearly labored out for him.
“[I’m] so very impressed together with his skilled method and diligence,” stated McLaren staff principal Andrea Stella after Hirakawa changed Oscar Piastri in FP1 in Abu Dhabi. “After which when he got here to having some efficiency runs, really, contemplating that it was just about his first time in a Formulation 1 staff, apart from some TPC working, which, anyhow, wasn’t very a lot. As soon as once more, we obtained fairly impressed.
Turning 31 in March, he nonetheless has a protracted profession forward of him within the WEC and presumably again at residence, whether or not an Alpine race seat materialises or not
“We had been giving him some suggestions by way of driving, and to be sincere, he simply executed what we stated very nicely. By way of angle, professionality, dedication, we knew him – as a result of now we have had him round within the TPC automotive, and now we have had him round right here for a lot of occasions – however the good shock is the velocity, the management of the automotive. It is the weather of being a driver that we couldn’t see earlier than, and that at the moment they had been very spectacular.”
Even when he by no means lands a race seat, Hirakawa would go away F1 as a greater, sooner and smarter driver. Turning 31 in March, he nonetheless has a protracted profession forward of him within the WEC and presumably again at residence, whether or not an Alpine race seat materialises or not. Mike Conway, the oldest driver in Toyota’s Hypercar line-up, turns 42 this yr, so age continues to be on Hirakawa’s facet so far as sportscar racing is worried.
After all, Alpine’s resolution to rent him in an already crowded driver roster continues to be puzzling. To date, the Renault Group model has solely gone on to say it wished a extra skilled head in its roster, because it already employs plenty of younger expertise.
Hirakawa has time on his facet to pursue F1 alternatives with out hurting his sportscar profession prospects
Picture by: Motorsport.com Japan
However that solely solutions a part of the query. Alpine already has a spearhead in Pierre Gasly, who’s contracted to the staff for the long run. New staff principal Oliver Oakes additionally is aware of methods to take care of younger drivers, given his in depth administration expertise in junior formulae with Hitech.
One can solely think about that recruiting Hirakawa amps up the stress on Doohan, whereas additionally retaining Colapinto in examine. Whereas the younger Argentine proved he’s greater than worthy of an F1 seat when he first stepped as much as Williams at Monza, and comes loaded with money from South American sponsors, a slew of crashes later within the yr tainted his CV.
Solely time will inform what precisely Alpine and Hirakawa are capable of obtain by their new affiliation. Non-public exams, and a follow outing at Suzuka, will maintain them busy early on, however clearly there’s a need to realize one thing greater collectively. Nonetheless, the way forward for the partnership isn’t precisely of their fingers, as Doohan’s outcomes will in the end determine if Alpine must reshuffle its line-up.
The onus is now on Doohan to surpass the seemingly low expectations of his staff and be fast straight out of the blocks in 2025, or face a real-life instance of how ruthless F1 might be. In any case, Flavio Briatore is now calling the photographs at Alpine, and each Colapinto and Hirakawa are ready for the door to open…
Further reporting by Ken Tanaka
Can Doohan do sufficient to maintain Colapinto, Hirakawa and Aron out?
Picture by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Pictures
On this article
Rachit Thukral
Formulation 1
Ryo Hirakawa
Alpine
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