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McLaren signs Le Mans winner Hirakawa as F1 reserve driver
Ryo Hirakawa has joined McLaren’s driver development programme as a reserve driver, supporting the team in their simulator and conducting testing with their 2021 car. He will continue his racing duties with Toyota in the World Endurance Championship, where he currently leads the Hypercar class. Hirakawa, along with his teammates Sebastien Buemi and Brendon Hartley, are the reigning champions in the World Endurance Championship, having won both the overall title and the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2022. Hirakawa expressed his excitement about joining McLaren and thanked both Zak Brown and Andrea Stella for the opportunity. McLaren team principal, Andrea Stella, welcomed Hirakawa and highlighted his impressive track record. McLaren currently shares reserve drivers Stoffel Vandoorne and Felipe Drugovich with Aston Martin, and they are also working on adding Pato O’Ward to their reserve pool for 2024.
Source: motorsport
