Motor racing-Reserve driver Hirakawa replaces Ocon for F1 race debut with Haas

Japanese reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa will make ​his Formula One debut in place of Esteban ​Ocon at US-owned Haas for this weekend's ‌Mexico ​City Grand Prix, the Formula One team said on Saturday. A team spokesman said the replacement was not due to illness but gave no further details. The governing FIA confirmed ‌the change.

There was no immediate comment from Ocon. The French driver is due to leave Haas at the end of the season, with Brazilian Rafael Camara moving up from Formula Two for 2027.

Hirakawa, 32, is a two-times world endurance champion and Le Mans ‌24 Hours winner with Toyota, who have a technical partnership with Ferrari-powered Haas. He took part in first practice at ‌the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on Friday, the third time he has done that this season. Haas are seventh in the constructors' championship and seven points ahead of Audi. Britain's Ollie Bearman has scored 23 of their 30 points from 18 races so far.

With five races remaining, Ocon's replacement and the ⁠lack of ​further explanation raised questions about ⁠who would partner Bearman after Mexico. The next race is the Brazilian Grand Prix in Sao Paulo, a home round for Camara who leads the F2 ⁠championship but has no scheduled races until the final rounds in Qatar and Abu Dhabi at the end of November and early ​December.

Haas also have Australian Jack Doohan, a former Alpine race driver, as a reserve. Ocon's future in Formula One remains ⁠uncertain, with Cadillac and Racing Bulls the only teams with possible openings but with clear candidates other than the Frenchman.

Haas team boss Ayao Komatsu spoke ⁠out ​on Friday about reports that he and Ocon had argued at the Miami Grand Prix in May. "Some people invent the story. You know, what happened in Miami, about apparently I had an argument with Esteban Ocon? That's just absolutely ⁠zero truth in there," he said. "Even those people claiming that they had some insider information, etcetera, absolute total nonsense."

A tetchy radio ⁠exchange between Ocon and his ⁠race engineer Laura Mueller in second Friday practice was also highlighted by some, with the driver complaining about the team's decision to switch him to the medium tyre. "No, no. I ‌wanted the soft. ‌Don't do that to me. Come on," said Ocon.