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BIZARRE: Hirakawa - You Need To See This

Hirakawa joins Miyata, Lawson in Super Formula exodus

Hirakawa, a mainstay of Team Impul since 2018, has made the decision to focus on his Toyota commitments in the World Endurance Championship and reserve driver duties in Formula 1 for McLaren.

Motorsport

Toyota WEC stars conclude Super Formula season on low note

Team Impul's Hirakawa could manage no better than sixth in the final race of the 2023 campaign, after qualifying ninth and then spending the first half of the race stuck behind the slower KCMG machine of Yuji Kunimoto.

Motorsport

Hirakawa could quit Super Formula to focus on McLaren F1 duties

Hirakawa, who currently races in both Super Formula and the World Endurance Championship as a Toyota driver, was unveiled as the latest addition to McLaren’s pool of reserve drivers at last weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix.

Motorsport

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McLaren signs Le Mans winner Hirakawa as F1 reserve driver

Hirakawa will become part of McLaren's driver development programme, supporting the Woking team in its simulator as well as conducting a testing programme with its 2021 MCL35M car.

Motorsport

Too early to rule out #7 Toyota from WEC title fight - Hirakawa

Heading into this weekend's penultimate round of the WEC season at Fuji, Hirakawa and his team-mates in the #8 GR010 HYBRID, Sebastien Buemi and Brendon Hartley, lead the drivers' standings on 115 points.

Motorsport

Yamamoto on race-ending clash: ‘If the inside is open, you have to try’

Yamamoto and Hirakawa were battling over third place on lap 27 of 37 when the pair made contact at the Turn 11 right-hander, the result of Yamamoto making a late lunge to the inside.

Motorsport

Hirakawa awards himself 10/10 for 20th-to-fourth charge

After being knocked out in Q1 and qualifying all the way down in 20th place on Saturday, Hirakawa charged his way back through the field on race day, passing 16 cars en route to his best finish since April’s third round at Suzuka.

Motorsport

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Hirakawa: Impul recovery now the focus, not faltering title bid

Toyota star Hirakawa finds himself a distant fifth in the championship with four races to go, trailing leader Ritomo Miyata by 47 points, with a best finish so far of third place in both the opening race at Fuji and the third round at Suzuka.

Motorsport

Toyota's Le Mans hopes take major blow after Hirakawa off

The Japanese driver was installed at the wheel of the #8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid with around two hours left on the clock, taking over from Brendon Hartley, and was around 16 seconds in arrears of the Ferrari of Antonio Giovinazzi.

Autosport

Toyota WEC drivers welcome Le Mans tyre warmer U-turn

It was announced earlier this month by the organisers of the WEC, the FIA and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, that the new-for-2023 ban on tyre pre-heating would be temporarily suspended for the centrepiece race at La Sarthe, after a number of accidents in the previous race at Spa prompted…

Autosport

Hirakawa wants more "aggressive" Impul approach at Autopolis

Hirakawa has scored two podium finishes from the opening three races of the 2023 season, with third-place finishes in both the opening race at Fuji and the most recent round at Suzuka.

Motorsport

Why a Super Formula frontrunner is "nervous" for the new season

Hirakawa was one of the most consistent performers in the Japanese single-seater series during the SF19 era, having finished in the top four of the championship standings in each of the past three seasons.

Motorsport

Toyota drivers worried by WEC rivals’ extensive Sebring testing

The Japanese manufacturer has unveiled a revised version of its GR010 Hybrid Le Mans Hypercar for the 2023 season as it gears up to defend its WEC crown from new Hypercar class rivals in the form of Ferrari, Porsche and Cadillac.

Motorsport

New Super Formula car won’t be complete reset, says Hirakawa

The introduction of an updated Super Formula car for the 2023 season is not a significant enough change to “reset” the field this season, believes Team Impul's Ryo Hirakawa.

Motorsport

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Autosport

WEC champion Hirakawa doubted he was up to the job at Toyota

Toyota driver Ryo Hirakawa admits he doubted he was up to the job of winning the Le Mans 24 Hours and the FIA World Endurance Championship title when he was first selected to join the marque's Hypercar roster.

Motorsport

Hirakawa: Nojiri's "crazy" qualifying average sums up season

Ryo Hirakawa says that Tomoki Nojiri's 'crazy' consistency in qualifying was what ultimately defined this year's Super Formula championship battle.

Autosport

WEC Fuji: Toyota #8 crew boost title hopes with victory

Toyota romped to a dominant 1-2 finish in Sunday’s penultimate round of the 2022 World Endurance Championship at Fuji, as Sebastien Buemi, Ryo Hirakawa and Brendon Hartley claimed victory.

Motorsport

Fuji WEC: Toyota ties Alpine on points with dominant win

Toyota romped to a dominant 1-2 finish in Sunday’s penultimate round of the FIA World Endurance Championship season at Fuji, as Sebastien Buemi, Ryo Hirakawa and Brendon Hartley boosted their title hopes with a win.

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Autosport

Toyota face must-win race at Fuji for WEC title hopes

Toyota driver Ryo Hirakawa admits the Japanese manufacturer is facing a must-win scenario at Fuji for its World Endurance Championship title hopes.

Motorsport

Toyota facing must-win race at Fuji for WEC title hopes

Toyota driver Ryo Hirakawa admits the Japanese manufacturer is facing a must-win scenario at Fuji for its FIA World Endurance Championship title hopes.

Motorsport

How Impul duo produced a Super Formula battle for the ages

Sunday’s Motegi Super Formula race produced one of the best finishes the series has seen for years, as the battle between Impul teammates Yuhi Sekiguchi and Ryo Hirakawa went down to the wire.

Motorsport

Motegi Super Formula: Sekiguchi beats Hirakawa in thrilling duel

Yuhi Sekiguchi claimed his first Super Formula race victory since 2019 after beating his Impul teammate Ryo Hirakawa in a thrilling battle for supremacy.

Motorsport

Hirakawa reveals leaking visor caused Motegi spins

Ryo Hirakawa has revealed that water getting inside his visor caused him to spin off during Saturday's Super Formula race at Motegi.

Motorsport

How Fuji clash exposed Super Formula stewarding shortcomings

A first-corner incident in Super Formula’s most recent race at Fuji Speedway has shown the difficulties the series faces as it tries to open itself up to fans while relying on antiquated methods to determine penalties.

Motorsport

Le Mans winner Hirakawa explains dismal Sugo qualifying

Le Mans 24 Hours winner Ryo Hirakawa has explained his disappointing run to 16th in qualifying for this weekend's Sugo Super Formula round, his lowest grid slot in the series in almost two years.

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