Haas will field reserve driver Ryō Hirakawa during the first free practice session at the Red Bull Ring, with the Japanese driver set to take over Esteban Ocon’s VF-26 for FP1. Hirakawa already participated in four practice sessions with the American team last season, but Friday’s outing will mark his first experience behind the wheel of the 2026 Formula 1 car.
The Spielberg weekend begins a demanding stretch of races on the Formula 1 calendar. After Austria, the teams will head directly to Silverstone for the British Grand Prix. Following a single weekend break, Formula 1 will then continue with another back-to-back sequence, meaning four race weekends in the space of five weeks.
Haas Team Principal Ayao Komatsu highlighted the importance of the upcoming double-header and the value of Hirakawa’s contribution to the team’s development programme.
“We’re heading into another double-header with Austria and Great Britain coming one after the other. Obviously, they are two very different circuits, but both provide us with opportunities to further develop our understanding of the VF-26. We’ll have Ryō in the car for FP1 in Austria, so it will be good to get his feedback, especially as he has not yet driven the VF-26.
“He arrives fresh from a podium finish at Le Mans with Toyota in the World Endurance Championship, which was fantastic to see, and he has once again been an important part of our TPC programme this season.”
Hirakawa is equally enthusiastic about the opportunity awaiting him in Austria.
“First of all, I would like to thank Toyota Gazoo Racing and the TGR Haas F1 Team for this opportunity. It will be my first FP1 session of the season, and it has been a while since I last drove at the Red Bull Ring. I think it is the perfect circuit to drive the VF-26 for the first time because it has everything: long straights, low-speed corners and high-speed corners, so it should be a really enjoyable experience.
“I’m very excited and looking forward to getting out on track because a 60-minute practice session goes by very quickly. The goal is to get comfortable with the car as fast as possible and gather as much data as possible so that I can provide the best support to the team.”
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