Esteban Ocon will sit out the rest of Formula 1's Mexican Grand Prix with Haas reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa replacing him.
๐ The Core Development
Haas unexpectedly released a short statement on Saturday morning announcing the switch.
"TGR Haas F1 team reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa will replace Esteban Ocon for the remainder of the weekend's Mexico City Grand Prix," the statement read.
๐ Background & Sector Context
"Hirakawa, a two-time winner of the FIA World Endurance Championship and 24 Hours of Le Mans Winner with Toyota Gazoo Racing, participated in FP1 at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on Friday 30 October - his third free practice outing of the season driving the VF-26, finishing 15th overall.
"The Japanese driver will partner team-mate Ollie Bearman through final practice and qualifying on Saturday and Sunday's 71-lap grand prix - Hirakawa's Formula 1 race debut.
๐ Industry & Real-World Impact
No reason has been given for the change but Haas has confirmed it is not due to illness for Ocon.
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๐ฎ Strategic Outlook & What Lies Ahead
It is logical therefore to reason that he appears to have been benched.
Ocon had a frustrating Friday in Mexico, publicly expressing his dissatisfaction with his runplan in FP2 - his only session in the car, after 32-year-old Hirakawa drove in FP1 to satisfy the rookie practice rule.
