Haas drops Esteban Ocon for F1 Mexico GP
The Frenchman will be replaced by Haas reserve Ryo Hirakawa for the remainder of the Mexican weekend
Haas Formula 1 team has made a surprising decision to replace Esteban Ocon with reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa for the remaining Mexico Grand Prix weekend. Hirakawa will join Oliver Bearman as team-mates for final practice, qualifying, and Sunday's race, fulfilling his rookie mandate for FP1 sessions. Ocon returned for second practice, finishing 13th, but caused controversy after arguing with race engineer Laura Mueller about using soft tyres or switching to medium rubber.
Haas stated that Hirakawa will replace Ocon for the remainder of the weekend's Mexico City Grand Prix, marking his Formula 1 debut. The 32-year-old Japanese driver, who previously won the 2017 Super GT championship and two WEC titles, will partner Bearman through final practice, qualifying, and the 71-lap race. Ryo Hirakawa's debut comes at the age of 32, after a successful career in Japan and the World Endurance Championship, earning him a move to Haas in 2025.
This replacement is reminiscent of Ocon's departure from Alpine during their 2024 Abu Dhabi finale, where he was replaced by Jack Doohan. Ocon is likely to become Aston Martin's reserve driver in 2027, according to Motorsport.com, following his disappointing performances at Haas since joining the team in 2025.
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