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Mark Schofield is a former college quarterback and attorney covering the NFL and F1.
When Ryō Hirakawa arrived in Mexico City for this weekend’s Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix, he probably did not expect that his weekend would finish with his first F1 start, and his first F1 point.
But that is exactly what has happened, following some post-race penalties handed out following the checkered flag.
Hirakawa, the Haas reserve driver, participated in FP1 on Thursday, satisfying one of the team’s four required rookie practice sessions. But following a decision to sideline veteran Esteban Ocon — and the team offering scant additional details other than it was not due to an illness — Hirakawa was back in the VF-26 for FP3, and the rest of the weekend.
Hirakawa was eliminated in Q1, finishing 18th in qualifying. He started in that spot and crossed the finish line in P13, the only Haas driver remaining on the grid after Oliver Bearman was forced to retire after Nico Hülkenberg drove into the back of Bearman’s VF-26 in the closing stages.
But then some post-race penalties were handed out, specifically to Oscar Piastri, Pierre Gasly, and Franco Colapinto. As a result of those penalties, all three drivers were dropped down the final classification, and Hirakawa was promoted to P10:
Giving him a point in his F1 debut:
The grid now heads to Brazil for next weekend’s São Paulo Grand Prix.
Will Hirakawa be back in the car next weekend as well?