Ocon and WEC star Hirakawa to drive for Haas in Abu Dhabi F1 test

Esteban Ocon will get his first taste of Haas machinery in the end-of-season Formula 1 test in Abu Dhabi, and will be joined by Toyota World Endurance Championship driver Ryo Hirakawa.

Ocon was released by Alpine ahead of this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to ensure he could pick up his Haas duties early, and thus will be replaced by Jack Doohan at the Anglo-French squad.

Haas was set to fulfil the young driver component of the end-of-year test with the incoming Oliver Bearman, but the Briton was no longer eligible having made three grand prix starts this term as a substitute for both Carlos Sainz at Ferrari and Kevin Magnussen at Haas.

So, the American squad is leaning on its Toyota links to trial Hirakawa, who has won two WEC Hypercar titles with the Japanese firm. Haas signed a technical tie-up with Toyota earlier this year, and will be granted access to the brand’s Cologne facilities and various other areas of expertise.

This move has also allowed Haas to start its own testing of previous cars programme [TPC], which will allow Toyota to run some of its own drivers and give its younger engineers experience of F1.

Hirakawa will also contest FP1 on Friday for McLaren in place of Oscar Piastri; the Japanese driver is also part of McLaren’s driver development programme, and has gathered experience of F1 machinery with TPC running across the tail end of 2023 and into 2024.

Arrow McLaren IndyCar racer Pato O’Ward will subsequently drive for McLaren in the end-of-season test, something he also did in 2023. 

Elsewhere, Williams is giving its allocated young driver mileage to Luke Browning, who finished third in this year’s Formula 3 championship having been in contention for the title.

The 2022 Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Award winner currently drives for ART in Formula 2 after replacing fellow Williams junior Zak O’Sullivan, and will get a taste of the Williams FW46 alongside the incoming Carlos Sainz.