This driver dreams of a full-time seat at Haas, but looks to be out of luck

In the scorching Austrian sun, it was already the seventh free practice session Hirakawa was allowed to take part in; once with McLaren, the rest with Haas. The Japanese driver is now 32 years old, which typically isn’t the age for a Grand Prix debut. That realization is shared by the successful Toyota driver in the WEC as well.

"It is just to be realistic. It's really great to have this opportunity," he told this website. "This is not just to have experience, but it's to have some opportunity in the future. I'm still, of course, dreaming, but the target is now to have good feedback to the team," said Hirakawa, referring to his appearance in free practice as a temporary replacement for Esteban Ocon.

The Frenchman is not certain of his place at Haas in 2027, with several drivers eyeing that seat alongside the likely Oliver Bearman. Rafael Camara—currently competing in Formula 2—has set his sights on the spot as a driver from the Ferrari Academy. McLaren reserve Leonardo Fornaroli also became a serious option after a test with Haas.

Toyota, Haas’s technical partner, would like to see a Japanese driver in the team. That is probably Hirakawa’s only chance. Yuki Tsunoda is also being mentioned at Haas as a Japanese driver with the necessary Formula 1 experience.

At first glance, the former Red Bull Racing driver seems a more logical candidate than Hirakawa, who finished nineteenth during FP1 in Spielberg. That didn’t say much, however, as Hirakawa wasn’t sent out to set the fastest time. For Haas, the Japanese driver’s session was all about preparing for Sunday’s race in the scorching Austrian heat.