Haas has replaced Esteban Ocon with reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa for the remainder of the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend. Ocon participated in Friday practice but the team announced on Saturday that Hirakawa would take over for Saturday and Sunday sessions. No specific reason was given, though a team spokesperson confirmed it was not due to illness.
The decision follows a radio exchange during Friday's second practice where Ocon disagreed with race engineer Laura Mueller over tyre strategy for a race-simulation run. Mueller instructed Ocon to switch to medium tyres after teammate Oliver Bearman's soft-tyre run was deemed "not great." Ocon responded: "No, no. I wanted the soft. Don't do that to me. Come on." Haas declined to comment on whether the replacement was related to the incident.
Hirakawa, 32, will make his Formula 1 debut in Mexico. He is a two-time World Endurance Championship winner with Toyota, which is Haas's technical partner and title sponsor. Hirakawa also drove in first practice on Friday in Ocon's car. Ocon is leaving Haas at the end of the season and will be replaced next year by Brazilian rookie Rafael Camara, a Ferrari development driver.
