Haas replaces Esteban Ocon with Ryo Hirakawa in Mexico City

Driver swap in Mexico City

Haas replaced Esteban Ocon with Ryo Hirakawa for the remainder of the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend. The team issued a statement on Saturday saying Hirakawa will drive instead of the Frenchman for the Saturday and Sunday sessions. This decision follows Ocon’s participation in Friday’s practice, where he finished 13th during the second session. Haas stated the change does not stem from illness, yet the team offered no further details regarding the reason for the swap. I find the timing suspicious because it follows a dispute between Ocon and race engineer Laura Mueller during second practice on Friday regarding tyre strategy. Mueller told Ocon over the radio that the team had to switch him to medium tyres for his race-simulation run because teammate Oliver Bearman’s run on the soft was "not great". Ocon expressed his frustration, telling Mueller, "No, no. I wanted the soft. Don’t do that to me. Come on." Ocon asked for clarity on the instruction, to which Mueller replied, "We have to do medium." Haas declined to comment on whether the heated exchange between Ocon and Mueller or the subsequent aftermath prompted the team to replace the Frenchman for the remainder of the weekend. This move comes after Ocon had already been confirmed as leaving the team at the end of the 2026 season. This sudden replacement complicates the final stretch of races for the 2026 season.

Hirakawa makes debut

Ryo Hirakawa makes his Formula 1 race debut at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez this weekend. He will partner Oliver Bearman through final practice, qualifying, and the 71-lap race on Sunday. Hirakawa participated in Friday’s first practice session, his third outing of the season driving the VF-26, and finished 15th.

The 32-year-old driver spent much of his career in Japan and won the 2017 Super GT championship. He moved to Haas as a reserve driver in 2025 after Toyota and Haas formed a technical partnership. Hirakawa previously won two FIA World Endurance Championship titles and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2022 with Toyota Gazoo Racing. While he contested seven practice sessions this year, this weekend marks his first time competing in a Grand Prix race. He will follow the rookie mandate requirements by driving the VF-26 in the final sessions. I find his experience in endurance racing provides the team with a steady hand for the remaining sessions. The Japanese driver’s appearance in the first practice session was part of the team’s obligated rookie sessions for the season. He has now completed nine practice session appearances, including the Friday session at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

Ocon’s exit and future

The decision to drop Ocon resembles how his Alpine stint ended in 2024 when the team replaced him with Jack Doohan for the Abu Dhabi finale. Ocon will leave Haas at the end of the 2026 season, and the team has already signed Brazilian driver Rafael Camara to replace him for 2027. I judge this late-season swap as a blunt signal that Ocon has no future with the American-owned squad. Ocon is 30 years old and currently looks for a race seat for next year, though his chances appear slim. Autosport reports that the Frenchman may become Aston Martin’s reserve in 2027 after a period where he struggled to match Bearman’s pace. In the 2027 lineup, the team has officially contracted Camara, while Bearman remains a likely candidate to drive alongside him despite the lack of a formal contract extension. Ocon joined Haas in 2025 and has spent two years with the squad. This change occurs as the team prepares for the arrival of Camara and looks toward the future with Bearman. The 30-year-old Frenchman finished 13th in the second practice session on Friday before the team announced his replacement for the upcoming race sessions. Ocon is currently looking for a race seat for next year, but his options seem limited.