P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Toyota-backed 31-year-old WEC star Ryo Hirakawa is serious about turning his Haas outings into a full-time F1 race seat
Toyota-backed Formula 1 test driver Ryo Hirakawa believes his Haas role this season is a significant step towards securing a full-time race seat in the future. At 31 years old, he joined Haas in April as an F1 test and reserve driver after starting the year with Alpine. Hirakawa has been driving in FP1 sessions for Haas, conducting car testing, and recently faced a crash during testing at Zandvoort due to a “car issue.” This F1 opportunity is part of Toyota Gazoo Racing’s technical partnership with Haas, aiming to develop both drivers and engineers. Hirakawa aims for a regular race seat in the future and hopes his performance will lead to that opportunity. While realistic challenges exist, he remains focused on proving his worth and believes he is on the right path towards achieving his goal.
