Ryo Hirakawa calls Mexico City F1 debut “my dream” after promoted points finish

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

Ryo Hirakawa described his Mexico City Grand Prix debut as “my dream” after a points-paying classification arrived following post-race penalties. The Japanese driver reached the chequered flag in P13 at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, with his on-track goal having been simply to bring the car home after a challenging race.

Hirakawa had entered the Haas garage as a late replacement, taking over for Esteban Ocon at the American team on Saturday morning. Formula 1 records also show he had already taken part in Free Practice 1 as a designated “rookie” driver, giving him a baseline before qualifying.

With an additional hour of practice completed, Hirakawa qualified P19. Although he lined up for his first Grand Prix from a higher spot on the grid, that advantage came from a penalty for Liam Lawson.

During the 71-lap race, Hirakawa fought through the midfield. He said he spent much of the race learning, describing the start as difficult and noting that Turn 1 at Mexico City is “so long” that it forces drivers to think through numerous braking possibilities with cars running side by side ahead and behind.

The Haas driver’s race pace improved during the middle stages, according to his own account. He said the first stint was “really tough” and that the car did not initially have the pace, but after a Safety Car period with the C5 tyre he gained confidence, enabling him to pass two cars before continuing to press towards his finishing objective.

After the race, Hirakawa’s classification improved further. Time penalties for Oscar Piastri and the two Alpines of Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly moved Hirakawa upward, placing him into P10 in the points after starting the day outside the top positions.

Haas have not yet confirmed their driver line-up for the coming weekend in Brazil. Hirakawa, meanwhile, was originally scheduled to compete for Toyota in the FIA World Endurance Championship, where the title fight remains open.

Looking ahead, Hirakawa framed Mexico City as a rare personal milestone and suggested it could be his only F1 start. He said he needed to “taste this moment,” adding that he is happy to enjoy the experience and assess what can be done next.