Ryo Hirakawa is the new reserve driver for McLaren F1
The current official Toyota driver in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) will assume his new role within the team based in Woking starting from next year.
In the context of the Japanese Grand Prix, which is taking place this weekend at the Suzuka Circuit, the McLaren team has officially announced the arrival of Ryo Hirakawa as a reserve driver. The 29-year-old Japanese driver will spend time in the simulator and may step into the seat of one of the two regular drivers if Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri are unable to compete in a Grand Prix.
The appointment of Hirakawa comes as a little surprise. As an official Toyota driver in WEC, with whom he won the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the World Endurance Championship in 2022, this native of Kure, just a few kilometers from Hiroshima, had no concrete ties with McLaren or any other Formula 1 team for that matter. Hirakawa will be replacing Alex Palou, whose ties with the British team were severed earlier this year.
« I am happy to join McLaren F1 Team as a reserve driver, said the Japanese. « It is an exciting prospect to work with such a team and I would like to thank Zak (Brown) and Andrea (Stella) for this opportunity. I have already met the team and tested the simulator at the MTC (McLaren Technology Center), which allowed me to dive right in. I am now fully focused on the rest of my 2023 season. »
Hirakawa will continue his program in WEC next year alongside his new role at McLaren.
« I am delighted to welcome Ryo to McLaren as the team’s reserve driver in Formula 1 to strengthen our team. We are grateful to Toyota Gazoo Racing for their collaboration in allowing us to have Ryo with us, alongside his other motorsport programs », said Andrea Stella, the Team Principal of McLaren F1.
