Haas replace Esteban Ocon with reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa for the rest of the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend
Haas have replaced Esteban Ocon with their Japanese reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa for the remainder of the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend, the team confirmed in its own statement on Saturday morning, 31 October 2026, carried in full by Formula 1's official site and read directly in this run. Hirakawa, 32, had already driven Ocon's VF-26 in Friday's first practice, finishing 15th, and will now partner Ollie Bearman through final practice and qualifying on Saturday and Sunday's 71-lap Grand Prix — his Formula 1 race debut. Haas gave no reason for the change and said no further statements will be made; Reuters reports a team spokesman confirmed the replacement was not due to illness, and that the governing FIA confirmed the change.
Key points
- Haas's own statement, carried by Formula 1 on Saturday 31 October 2026 and read directly in this run: reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa replaces Esteban Ocon for the rest of the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend (31 October – 1 November).
- Hirakawa, 32, finished 15th in Friday's FP1 in the VF-26 — his third practice outing of the season — and now partners Ollie Bearman in final practice, qualifying and Sunday's 71-lap race: his Formula 1 race debut.
- No reason was given. The statement closes 'No further statements will be made at this time'; Reuters reports a spokesman confirmed it is not due to illness, and that the FIA confirmed the change.
- Reuters adds the context that Ocon is due to leave Haas at the end of the season, with Rafael Camara moving up from Formula Two for 2027.
What happened
Mid-weekend driver changes are rare in Formula 1, and Haas's statement — a few lines, no reason, no further comment — landed on Saturday morning in Mexico City, hours before final practice. Hirakawa is no novice: he is a two-time World Endurance champion and a Le Mans winner with Toyota, which has a technical partnership with the Ferrari-powered Haas team, per Reuters.
Ocon had driven both Friday sessions' running available to him — Hirakawa took his car for the mandated FP1 outing and Ocon returned for FP2, finishing 13th — before the Saturday announcement removed him from the rest of the weekend.
Match facts — all verified
- ✓ VerifiedTGR Haas F1 Team reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa will replace Esteban Ocon for the remainder of the weekend's Mexico City Grand Prix, Saturday 31 October – Sunday 1 November 2026.Formula 1 — Hirakawa to replace Ocon at Haas for remainder of Mexico City Grand Prix weekend (31 Oct 2026) · Reuters — Reserve driver Hirakawa replaces Ocon for F1 race debut with Haas (31 Oct 2026)
- ✓ VerifiedHirakawa (32), a two-time winner of the FIA World Endurance Championship (2022, 2023) and the 2022 24 Hours of Le Mans winner with Toyota GAZOO Racing, drove Ocon's VF-26 in Friday's first practice at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez — his third free practice outing of the season — finishing 15th overall. He will partner team-mate Ollie Bearman through final practice and qualifying on Saturday and Sunday's 71-lap Grand Prix, which will be his Formula 1 race debut. He has been a Haas reserve driver since 2025.Formula 1 — Hirakawa to replace Ocon at Haas (31 Oct 2026) · Reuters — Reserve driver Hirakawa replaces Ocon for F1 race debut with Haas (31 Oct 2026)
- ✓ VerifiedHaas gave no reason for the change: its statement ends 'No further statements will be made at this time.' A team spokesman told Reuters the replacement was not due to illness but gave no further details. Ocon is due to leave Haas at the end of the season, with Brazilian Rafael Camara moving up from Formula Two for 2027, per Reuters.Formula 1 — Hirakawa to replace Ocon at Haas (31 Oct 2026) · Reuters — Reserve driver Hirakawa replaces Ocon for F1 race debut with Haas (31 Oct 2026)