Alpine officially announced that it will be the First team In the 2025 season in Filming one of your pilots reserve in practices. Thus, Ryo Hirakawa will run in the Japan Grand Prix fulfilling him Tax regulation by the organization.
The Japanese pilot will participate this weekend, for the third date of the championship in the car of Jack Doohanwho will sit back in the bank. Thus, he will handle the A525 during the Free practice number 1 of the Japan GP.
Then, Doohan will sit in his armchair from the FP2 From three in the morning on Friday in Argentina. The first practice will be next Thursday.
Formula 1 regulation to run the youngest pilots
All competition teams are obliged to give it filming with At least four practice sessions to the youngest pilots they have.
This is due to Article 32.4 of the FIAregulations that since this year it establishes that they must give action in the training of the season to corridors that They have not participated in more than two races of the highest category.
For this reason, although Franco Colapint Be the reserve pilot, can no longer be used to comply with the regulations of filming runners without activity in Formula 1, since he participated in nine big prizes during the 2024 with Williams.
Ryo Hirakawa’s journey to Alpine
For his part, Hirakawa, 31, was a reserve pilot in McLaren and Haas Last year, although he only drove the MCL38 in the FP1 of Abu Dhabi, at the end of the season. Then, he was in charge of a Haas during post-temporada tests, as part of an agreement with Toyota.
“I will be in the car from the free training 2, since Ryo will pilot in the free 1. He has a lot of experience here, so it will be useful to take advantage of some of that knowledge for the weekend,” Doohan said in a statement issued by the team.
However, the Japanese pilot said: “I am very excited, I can’t wait to pilot the A525 In free training 1 of this weekend. I remember 18 years ago, in 2007, the first time I went to see the Japan Grand Prix. It was a different track, Fujibut it was Formula 1 in Japan “.
“Since then, I started my career as a pilot and now piloting this weekend will be a dream come true. I am looking forward to the time. I have everything ready, We did simulator work in Estone A few days ago and I will enjoy every moment. I hope the weather is favorableit will be a short session, but I will enjoy it and give the best of me so that the team obtains some indications about the tuning. I just want to thank everyone in the team for the opportunity and support, “Hirakawa confessed.
It is important to remember that Alpine confirmed to Hirakawa as a reserve pilot on January 9, the same day they announced to Colapinto. In total, the headquarters based in France It has four reserve pilots, including the Rookies Paul Aron and Kush Maini.
Alpine.jpg collapint
@francolapinto
The Japanese, who will debut with Alpine this weekend, has an outstanding trajectory outside the F1. In 2022, it reached the top of the resistance motor racing When winning 24 hours of Le Mans With Toyota, a team with which he has competed in various international competitions.
In addition, it was two -time in the category Hypercar of the World Resistance Championship in 2022 and 2023. Throughout his career, he has also accumulated experience in disciplines such as the SUper formula and the super GT.
On the other hand, Colapinto has become the main figure among the reserve pilots due to the constant rumors that suggest that it could replace Doohan in the next dates, If the Australian does not meet expectations. However, its role has not yet been defined during the Japan GP.
Although initially it had been said that it would be available as a reserve pilot in all the schedule of the calendar, it is now proposed that, since Hirakawa will be present in Japan, Colapinto could stay in Estone, working with the simulator After participating in the first two circuits of the year.
Source: Ambito
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