The Most Decorated Driver You’ve Never Heard Of
Does the name Ryo Hirakawa ring a bell? Don’t worry if not. Hirakawa has been in the background of F1 racing nearly his whole life, starting when he was just 13. Currently, the 31-year-old driver is with Toyota Gazoo Racing competing in the FIA World Endurance Championship. However, it looks like his time in the outskirts is coming to an end. Hirakawa will be driving in the Bahrain FP1 on Friday, replacing Ollie Bearman.
Only a day after the Japanese Grand Prix, Hirakawa was signed over from Alpine to Haas as a reserve driver. He’s set to drive in the first Free Practice before the Bahrain Grand Prix, the first of four scheduled track outings for the season. “I’m driving my first FP1 session in Bahrain,” said Hirakawa, “so for me to have driven at two race weekends in a row is exciting, and I can’t wait to get to Bahrain.” Hirakawa was also seen in Free Practice last week on the Suzuka track. One can only assume his performance is the reason for the quick signage to Haas.
While Hirakawa might still be a new name to the F1 frontlines, the Japanese driver has been behind the wheel of some pretty impressive races. Most notably, he’s the 2022 24 Hours of Le Mans winner. However, he’s also driven Free Practice for McLaren, and even for Haas back in December at Abu Dhabi. His value to the sport comes not only from his years of experience but from his breadth of experience as well.
His contribution after his Abu Dhabi run left a mark on Team Principal Ayo Komatsu. In a recent statement, he said, “[Hirakawa’s] feedback was very detailed at the post-season test last year, so being able to provide Ryo valuable track time across four different circuits this year will help the entire team.” Haas is tightly connected with Toyota, an additional assist for quick signage. Hirakawa will leave Alpine with reserve drivers Franco Colapinto, Kush Maini, and Paul Aron.
Things change quickly in F1. With how many shocks have already been delivered, the name Hirakawa is certainly one to keep track of. It could potentially be on the docket sooner than you think. We can be certain his performance in Bahrain will be watched with many eyes upon him.
