Ocon Out, Hirakawa In: Haas Makes Late Change for Mexico City

Esteban Ocon will not drive for Haas for the rest of the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend. The team has given his car to reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa for Saturday and Sunday, and announced the change on Saturday morning.

Ocon did take part in Friday practice, so the switch came after he had already run the car. Hirakawa had driven the same car in the first session on Friday, his third planned practice session of the season, according to Haas. Practice is the set of unofficial running sessions teams use to test set-ups and tyres before qualifying.

Hirakawa is 32 and Haas's Japanese reserve driver. He will make his Grand Prix debut in Mexico. He is a two-time winner of the World Endurance Championship with Toyota, which is Haas's technical partner and title sponsor. Speaking after the announcement, he called the late call-up a "dream come true" (Formula 1).

Haas has not given a reason for the change. A team spokesperson said it was not because Ocon was ill. The team also declined to say whether the decision was linked to a disagreement between Ocon and his race engineer, Laura Mueller, during second practice on Friday. That exchange, over the tyre strategy for Ocon's race-simulation run, was reported over the team radio (BBC Sport).

The timing adds another layer. Ocon is leaving Haas at the end of this year. He will be replaced next season by Rafael Camara, a Brazilian rookie who is part of Ferrari's development driver programme. Ferrari's programme is a training pathway for young drivers who are not yet on the grid.

For Haas, the weekend now has a new name in the cockpit and a question hanging over it. For Hirakawa, it is a first Grand Prix start, arriving with a sports car record behind him and a Mexico City circuit to learn in a matter of hours. The race is Round 19 of the 2026 FIA Formula 1 World Championship.