Suzuka replaced Dowhan replaced by Hirkawa in Alpine for FP1

Ryo Hirakawa will drive Jack dohan‘S Alpine In the opening exercise for Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka for 2025 Formula 1 this weekend.

Toyota World Endurance Championship Champion has joined Alpine as a reserve driver for the season after completing the same role McLaren Last year.

Hirakawa started her F1 weekend in 2024 Abu Dhabi GP, with a place Oscar piastry McLaren in MCL38.

The Japanese driver said in a alpine team’s statement, “I am very excited, I can’t wait to drive A525 in free practice 1 later this week,”

“I am looking back at 18 years ago till 2007, first when I went to see Japanese Grand Prix, it was a separate track, Fuji, but it was Formula 1 in Japan. Since then, I started my racing career and now a dream to drive during the weekend is going to be true, I can’t wait.

“I have prepared everything, we worked as a simulator in Enstone a few days ago and I am going to enjoy this moment.

“Hopefully the weather is good, it will be a small session, but I will enjoy it and do my best for the team to input in some direction on the set-up. I want to add my praise for everyone in the team just for opportunity and support.”

Dowhan, who started his crook season under considerable pressure due to Alpine Stock Pilling Reserve Drivers, including the former-Williams Racist Franco ColapintoAdmittedly admitted that Hirkawa “has a lot of experience here, so it would be good to take some of that knowledge for the weekend”.

Hirakawa raced at Japan’s Super Formula between 2013 and 2023-National Single-Seter Championship which hits F1 speed and race several times a year in Suzuka.

Motorsport.com understands that Hirakawa left McLaren’s reserve driver to join Alpine as it was offered a better shot in a day, which was making F1 bow as PIASTRI and Lando Noris For many years, McLaren has been closed.

Hirkawa is a double WEC champion with Toyota, with which he won 24 hours in 2022 at the beginning of the Hypercar era of the championship.

His Toyota deal also means that he is an informal reserve driver for Has, who has a technical partnership with the Japanese manufacturer, and has completed the ongoing F1 End-off-season and previous cars (TPCs) in recent months.