Ryo Hirakawa will not land a Haas F1 seat for the forthcoming season and will continue with Toyota’s World Endurance Championship program.
Hirakawa had been among several drivers Haas considered to fill Esteban Ocon’s seat for the upcoming campaign, but the team ultimately chose Rafael Camara, the FIA Formula 2 points leader.
As a result, Hirakawa will stay with Toyota for a sixth season in the WEC next year.
Toyota team principal David Floury told Sportscar365 last month that the Japanese manufacturer already had a contingency plan in place if Hirakawa secured the F1 drive, with the plan believed to involve reserve racer Esteban Masson moving up.
But with that outcome no longer on the table, Hirakawa now faces the wait for a Hypercar opportunity, as Mike Conway’s seat at Toyota is expected to be filled by Porsche IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship contender Kevin Estre as part of a dual-program setup for the Frenchman, leaving the rest of the Toyota lineup largely unchanged.
