Alpine is making strategic moves to strengthen its Formula 1 line-up for the 2025 season, unveiling an exciting addition to its roster. The French team has demonstrated its commitment to innovation and development by signing a driver with a diverse and successful racing pedigree. The move reflects Alpine’s forward-thinking approach, drawing on talent from a variety of racing disciplines to refine its performance on the world’s premier motorsport stage.
This new signing will play a key role in Alpine’s efforts to enhance its competitive edge. By integrating this individual into its testing and simulator programmes, the team aims to tap into a wealth of experience and expertise.
With a strong focus on collaboration and growth, Alpine’s latest hire is poised to make a significant impact both on and off the track as the team sets its sights on a more competitive 2025 campaign.
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Alpine signs Le Mans winner Ryo Hirakawa
Alpine has strengthened its Formula One line-up for the 2025 season by signing Japanese racing star and Le Mans winner Ryo Hirakawa.
The experienced driver will join the French team as a test and reserve driver, bringing with him a wealth of experience and an impressive track record in the world of endurance racing. Hirakawa will play a key role in Alpine’s development efforts, taking part in testing and simulator work, while also acting as a second reserve driver alongside Estonian talent Paul Aron.
The move reflects Alpine’s commitment to diversifying and strengthening its driver pool as it prepares for a competitive 2025 season.
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Hirakawa’s key responsibilities
Ryo Hirakawa’s responsibilities within Alpine will be varied. As a test and reserve driver, his duties will include test drives in previous generation F1 cars and extensive simulator sessions to support the team’s ongoing development.
In addition, Hirakawa will represent the team on the grid at the first free practice session of his home Grand Prix in Suzuka, Japan, scheduled for early April.
Expressing his excitement, Hirakawa said: “It is an honour to join Alpine as a test and reserve driver for the 2025 season. The opportunity to drive a Formula One car is the pinnacle for racing drivers and I am looking forward to racing in front of my home crowd in Suzuka and contributing to the team’s development efforts.”
The addition of Hirakawa provides Alpine with a driver whose experience extends beyond conventional racing formats, promising a unique perspective to support the team’s engineering and performance initiatives.
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Hirakawa’s Formula 1 experience
While 2025 will mark Hirakawa’s most significant involvement with a Formula One team to date, the Japanese driver is no stranger to the pinnacle of motorsport.
In the 2024 season, Hirakawa demonstrated his versatility by taking part in Formula One activities with two teams.
He made his first appearance at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as McLaren’s Friday driver, replacing Oscar Piastri in free practice. Shortly afterwards, Hirakawa joined Haas for the post-season young driver test. This opportunity arose from Haas’ technical partnership with Toyota, where Hirakawa has been a mainstay in the World Endurance Championship (WEC).
A proven winner in endurance racing
Hirakawa’s success on the global stage is underlined by his achievements in endurance racing. As a factory driver for Toyota in the World Endurance Championship’s Hypercar class, he won back-to-back world titles in 2022 and 2023.
He also etched his name into motorsport history by winning the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2022, sharing the cockpit with former Formula 1 drivers Sébastien Buemi and Brendon Hartley.
These achievements have cemented Hirakawa’s reputation as one of the most adaptable and skilled drivers in the world of motorsport, making his transition into a Formula 1 development role a logical next step.
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Alpine’s strategic driver selection
Alpine Team Principal Oliver Oakes emphasised the value Hirakawa brings to the team.
“It is great that we have been able to bring Ryo into the team for 2025 and that he will be driving in front of his home crowd in the first practice session in Japan,” said Oakes.
Oakes highlighted Hirakawa’s wide range of racing experience as a key asset for Alpine, particularly in its ongoing development programme.
“His role will be important in supporting the team in various areas of development through our TPC (Testing of Previous Cars) programme and simulator work. We look forward to welcoming him to the team as we continue our preparations for the new season,” he added.
Hirakawa’s presence on the team not only strengthens Alpine’s driver expertise, but also enables the team to utilise his endurance racing knowledge in its quest for continuous performance improvement.
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Hirakawa’s perspective on the opportunity
Reflecting on his new role, Hirakawa described joining Alpine as a “great opportunity”, noting that the team’s collaborative approach and commitment to driver development made it an appealing environment.
“It is a great opportunity to work with such a dedicated team that leverages the vast experience of its rider pool and I look forward to playing my part in making 2025 a positive year,” said Hirakawa.
His enthusiasm for the role and his commitment to improving Alpine’s performance underline the mutual benefits of this partnership.
Looking ahead to the 2025 season
With Hirakawa on board, Alpine has stepped up its preparations for the challenges of the 2025 Formula 1 season. His arrival is part of a wider strategy to build a dynamic team capable of competing at the highest level.
Alongside Paul Aron, Hirakawa’s commitment ensures that Alpine has a robust reserve driver line-up ready to step in and contribute when needed.
Furthermore, his much-anticipated debut during practice at Suzuka will give Japanese fans the chance to see a home-grown talent in action on the world stage. For Alpine, it’s a chance to strengthen its connection with a global audience, while continuing its push for success on track.
As the 2025 season approaches, Hirakawa’s blend of endurance racing skills and Formula 1 experience positions him as a valuable asset in Alpine’s ambitious plans for the future.
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