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There’s been a shock driver change in the MIDDLE of Formula 1’s Mexico race weekend – and not for the usual reason.
Esteban Ocon was replaced by Ryo Hirakawa at Haas on Saturday morning in Mexico, and will miss the remainder of the event. Haas is staying tight-lipped on why, only admitting it’s nothing to do with illness…
Edd Straw and Josh Suttill dig into what we do know about such a surprising development, even given Ocon’s tense relationship with the team that’s dropped him for 2027 anyway, what to expect from Hirakawa, and what it could mean for the rest of 2026.
00:00 A bombshell change
02:04 The strained relationship
04:19 An against the odds F1 career
05:54 What happens next?
07:01 Hirakawa's credentials
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