Le Mans 24 Hours winner gets F1 outing with Haas in Austria

Le Mans 24 Hours winner Ryo Hirakawa will take part in FP1 at the Austrian Grand Prix for Haas. 

The 2022 winner of the iconic endurance event will make his seventh FP1 appearance, having previously completed running for both McLaren, Alpine, and Haas. 

Last year, Hirakawa was used to tick off all four mandatory rookie sessions across the campaign, gaining experience at the Bahrain, Spanish, Mexico City, and Abu Dhabi grands prix.

32-year-old Hirakawa joined Haas last as part of the team's increased ties with Toyota, with Hirakawa saying in Mexico, "At the moment, I'm trying to get a regular seat in the future. This is just a step, and hopefully it's going to happen, when I'm not too old.”

He added: “I just believe. At the moment, I'm just doing my best, just proving I deserve [a chance]. It's not easy, of course, but I think I'm doing the right thing.”

Last time out in Barcelona, seven teams fielded rookie drivers in FP1, with Haas not among this number. 

The Red Bull Ring will see Aston Martin replace Lance Stroll with Jak Crawford, while Luke Browning and Paul Aron will gain track time for Williams and Audi for the second consecutive weekends. This time, it will be Carlos Sainz and Gabriel Bortoleto who will step aside, after Alex Albon and Nico Hulkenberg stepped out previously.

Speaking after confirming Hirakawa's appointment with Haas last year, team boss Ayao Komatsu said: “His feedback was very detailed at the post-season test last year [2024], so being able to provide Ryo valuable track time across four different circuits this year will help the entire team.

“As part of our collaboration with Toyota GAZOO Racing, it’s great to welcome new talent into the team – it’s a real pleasure to work with a racer of his driving acumen.”