News Summary
- Ryō Hirakawa says there were talks about him racing for Haas in São Paulo and missing the World Endurance Championship finale at Monza.
- Haas chose Rafael Câmara, who will make his Formula 1 debut alongside Ollie Bearman at Interlagos.
- Hirakawa scored a point on his F1 debut in Mexico and goes into Monza with a 17-point lead in the WEC drivers’ championship alongside his Toyota teammates.
Ryō Hirakawa was waiting for a call from Haas that could have sent him to Interlagos instead of Monza. A week after stepping into the team’s Formula 1 race seat in Mexico City, the Japanese driver revealed that there had been discussions about keeping him in the car for São Paulo. That would have meant missing the race in which he and his Toyota teammates can win the World Endurance Championship drivers’ title.
“There was a discussion,” Hirakawa told reporters at Monza when asked by Sportscar365 about racing in Brazil. “I had to wait for a call and the team decided the Brazilian driver — I respect the call.”
From a Friday practice outing to a point on debut
Hirakawa had gone to Mexico City to drive the Haas VF-26 in first practice. He was called back into the car after Esteban Ocon was stood down following Friday’s second session. That gave Hirakawa one more practice session before qualifying for his first Grand Prix at the age of 32. He crossed the line 13th on Sunday and moved up to 10th after post-race penalties, scoring a point on debut.
“This is a role for myself, I was ready but always dreaming about it. Today, dream come true,” Hirakawa told Formula 1 in Mexico after getting the call.
Once Haas decided Ocon would no longer race for the team in 2026, it had another seat to fill in São Paulo. The team confirmed Câmara alongside Ollie Bearman at Interlagos, bringing forward the Brazilian’s debut after signing him for 2027. Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu pointed to Câmara’s August test in the previous year’s car at Portimão, where the team had already had a chance to see him work on track.
What was at stake for Hirakawa at Monza
The São Paulo Grand Prix and the 6 Hours of Monza both take place on Sunday, November 8. Hirakawa shares the No. 8 Toyota with Sébastien Buemi and Brendon Hartley. Their victory in Barcelona gave them a 17-point lead over the sister No. 7 crew. A top-five finish at Monza would secure their third drivers’ championship together, after titles in 2022 and 2023. Toyota has already clinched the manufacturers’ title.
“Now there’s one race left and we will try to grab the drivers’ title for car #8,” Hirakawa said in Toyota’s race preview.
Haas’s announcement covers São Paulo. GRANDE PRÊMIO has reported that Câmara is expected to stay in the car for Las Vegas, with Hirakawa expected to return for Qatar and Abu Dhabi if those races go ahead. Both weekends overlap with the final two rounds of Formula 2, where Câmara leads the championship. Speaking at Monza, Hirakawa left his chances of another F1 outing open.
GRANDE PRÊMIO is covering every session of the São Paulo Grand Prix live from Interlagos. Follow our on-site coverage in Formula 1.
