The Argentine will have a tight competition on the substitute bench to occupy a starting seat in Alpine this 2025.
With the 2025 season of the Formula 1 Just a few weeks away from starting, the crossovers between drivers and teams are already making noise on the networks and among fans. Furthermore, the excitement of meeting the rookies and how they will perform in the Great Circus in their first experiences is felt in the air.
Recently both Williams Racing and Alpine announced that they reached an agreement for Franco Colapinto and the Argentine driver will race for the French team as a reserve driver, waiting for a place to be freed up in the starting pair. However, it has a direct competitorin the same situation as him, who is not going to give in so easily.
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Ryo Hirakawa, Franco Colapinto’s reserve partner
On January 9, the same day they announced the signing of Colapinto, Alpine also confirmed who would be Franco’s partner as substitutes: Ryo Hirakawa. The 30-year-old Japanese driver, born in a county of Hiroshima, has just been a two-time champion in the Hypercar category of the World Endurance Championship (WEC) with Toyota, but had a brief stint in the premier class with McLaren in 2023.
He has greater experience in the field, and recently declared that he arrived to fight for the starting positionand wants to learn from experienced pilots to improve their performance. Although he assured that doesn’t have much experience With the French cars, he was confident: “They were looking for a fast driver. My performance and trophies in the WEC help ensure its evaluation.”
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What does it mean to be a reserve pilot?
An F1 reserve driver means, as his name indicates, being substitute for the starters. Therefore, both Colapinto and Hirakawa will be the replacement for Pierre Gasly and Jack Doohan. In addition to being present at each of the races on the calendar, they are in charge of collaborating in the technical development of the team using the simulators. In certain events they also participate in the first free practice.
Formula 1 has a program to promote management of young driverswhich made it mandatory for each team to give up their cars at least twice a year to rookies. This regulation increased by 2025, since before they only had to deliver it once.
Source: Ambito
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