Haas Calls Up Ryo Hirakawa for Race Weekend
Hirakawa replaces Esteban Ocon and qualified 19th in Q1 before failing to advance past the first qualifying session.
Updated on Oct. 31, 2026 in Motorsports
Haas has called up Ryo Hirakawa to replace Esteban Ocon for the weekend's race. Hirakawa set the 19th fastest time in final practice and qualified 19th in Q1, failing to progress past the first qualifying session.
Why it matters
The call-up gives the new Haas driver his first weekend with the team on short notice, with limited preparation time before qualifying. His result offers an early measure of how he compares with teammate Oliver Bearman.
Hirakawa qualified 19th in Q1, 0.875 seconds behind teammate Oliver Bearman, after traffic disrupted his final push lap. He was called up with about five hours to prepare before qualifying.
The players
Haas
Haas is the Formula One team that called up Ryo Hirakawa to replace Esteban Ocon for the weekend.
Ryo Hirakawa
Ryo Hirakawa is a new Haas driver who was called up as a reserve for this weekend's race.
Oliver Bearman
Oliver Bearman is a Haas driver and Hirakawa's teammate, the only Haas driver to progress past Q1.
The details
Haas called up Hirakawa as a reserve driver to replace Ocon, with qualifying and the race scheduled on consecutive days. Oliver Bearman was the only Haas driver to progress past Q1, while Hirakawa was held up by traffic on his last push lap.
Timeline
Qualifying on October 31, 2026 saw Hirakawa fail to advance past Q1.
The race is scheduled for November 1, 2026.
Season Trajectory
Haas has relied on short-notice driver changes to fill seats during the season, and Hirakawa's debut weekend will show whether the team gains a viable reserve option. The 0.875-second gap to Bearman in Q1 will shape how the team weighs its driver lineup going forward.
Hirakawa's result gives fantasy and betting followers a fresh data point on Haas's lineup for the race. Anyone tracking Haas's driver line-up can note that the team now has a tested reserve option.
The takeaway
Driver call-ups on short notice test both the replacement and the team, and Hirakawa's weekend offers an early look at how Haas plans to manage its seats. Readers following the sport should watch whether he is retained for upcoming races.
Further reading
Explore more Motorsports coverage for context on driver changes and team lineups.
