Ryo Hirakawa officially joins Haas F1 as reserve driver

Ryo Hirakawa — Toyota’s endurance racing driver — has officially joined the Haas Formula 1 team as reserve driver for the 2025 season, replacing his previous position at Alpine.

The 31-year-old driver will participate in four first practice sessions with Haas — starting at this weekend’s Bahrain GP replacing Oliver Bearman, followed by Mexico, Barcelona, and Abu Dhabi.

“I’m excited to join Haas F1 Team and really appreciate this opportunity. I’m driving my first FP1 session in Bahrain, so for me to have driven at two race weekends in a row is exciting,” stated Hirakawa.

Hirakawa’s F1 involvement — which began with McLaren in 2023 and included a Haas test in Abu Dhabi last year — is part of Toyota’s effort to introduce its driver talent to F1. The Japanese driver previously won Le Mans 24 Hours in 2022 and two world championship titles in the top class.

Ayao Komatsu — Haas team principal — welcomed Hirakawa’s arrival and stated that the driver’s experience will strengthen the team’s understanding of the VF-25 car.

Following Hirakawa’s departure, Alpine retains three reserve drivers — Franco Colapinto, Paul Aron, and Kush Maini.