Haas drops Ocon mid-weekend as reserve Hirakawa makes shock F1 debut in Mexico

Haas has axed Esteban Ocon from the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend, replacing the Frenchman with reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa for final practice, qualifying and Sunday’s 71-lap race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez — a decision that will hand Hirakawa his Formula 1 race debut at the age of 32.

The team confirmed the move in a brief statement, saying only that Hirakawa would partner Oliver Bearman for the remainder of the weekend and that “no further statements will be made at this time.” The Japanese driver had already appeared in Friday’s first practice session under the FP1 rookie mandate, finishing 15th in Ocon’s VF-26.

Ocon returned for second practice and finished 13th, but the session was overshadowed by a reported spat with race engineer Laura Mueller over tyre strategy — specifically whether to remain on soft compound rubber or switch to mediums. That dispute appears to have been the immediate trigger for the team’s decision.

For Hirakawa, the race represents the culmination of a career spent largely away from Formula 1’s main stage. The 2017 Super GT champion moved into the World Endurance Championship, where he claimed two WEC titles with Toyota and a Le Mans 24 Hours victory. That relationship with Toyota — which formed a technical partnership with Haas ahead of the 2025 season — brought him to the team as reserve driver, with seven FP1 outings to his name before this weekend.

Despite being considered a contender for a 2027 Haas race seat, Hirakawa ultimately lost out to Rafael Camara, leaving Sunday’s race as his sole opportunity to demonstrate his pace at the sport’s highest level.

For Ocon, the circumstances carry an uncomfortable echo of the end of his Alpine tenure. In 2024, he was dropped for the Abu Dhabi finale and replaced by his own successor, Jack Doohan — and the pattern has now repeated itself at Haas, where he has been comfortably outpaced by the younger Bearman throughout the season. Motorsport.com understands the 30-year-old Frenchman is likely to take on a reserve role with Aston Martin in 2027.