Toyota’s replacement plan if Ryo Hirakawa lands Haas F1 seat

September 30, 2026 · Yahoo Sports

Motorsport photo

Toyota junior Esteban Masson is primed to move up to the manufacturer’s Hypercar squad next year should Ryo Hirakawa leave the World Endurance Championship to race for Haas in Formula 1.

Visit truewildgame.com for more information.

Toyota’s 2027 WEC line-up remains in flux, as the TGR bosses wait for Haas to finalise its replacement for Esteban Ocon, who will be departing the squad at the end of the year.

Haas reserve Hirakawa is among the three drivers shortlisted to replace the one-time grand prix winner, with Ferrari reserve Rafael Camara and reigning F2 champion Leonardo Fornali also in the running.

The 32-year-old has completed several F1 tests this year as part of Haas’s Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) programme, which is run in conjunction with its technical partner Toyota, while he has also tested for McLaren and Alpine in recent years.

Although F2 points leader Camara is increasingly being viewed as the favourite for the seat alongside Oliver Bearman, a decision is yet to be made regarding the American team’s 2027 plans.

Toyota technical director David Floury said promoting Masson to Hypercar would be the “logical choice” if the manufacturer loses 2022 Le Mans 24 Hours winner Hirakawa to F1.

It is understood that any rumours linking Ocon with a move to Toyota in WEC are wide of the mark.

“Obviously, Esteban is pretty much ready to step in. We are still discussing this, but obviously it would be a logical choice [to replace Hirakawa],” Floury told the media including Motorsport.com.

Masson is seen as the next big star in the WEC and is being groomed by Toyota for a graduation to Hypercar in the future.

The Frenchman drove the GR010 Hybrid for the first time at the Bahrain rookie test in November last year, before getting behind the wheel of the upgraded TR010 Hybrid at the Le Mans test day in June.

He is currently fighting for the title in the European Le Mans Series, and his CV includes two LMP2 podiums at Le Mans.

#78 Akkodis Asp Team Lexus RC F LMGT3: Esteban Masson

No Japanese driver in #7 Toyota?

For the longest time, Toyota has had one Japanese driver in each of its two WEC cars. Team principal/driver Kamui Kobayashi represents the nation in the #7 TR010 Hybrid, while the line-up for the #8 car is led by Hirakawa, who himself replaced Kazuki Nakajima after the former F1 driver moved into a management role.

The last time Toyota didn’t have a Japanese driver in one of its cars was in 2015, the year before it signed Kobayashi for its LMP1 programme.

Floury did not rule out the possibility of fielding a line-up without a Japanese driver next year, but stressed the importance of having representation from the manufacturer’s home nation.

“For sure, it's important for us to have one Japanese driver on each car. But it's also important that we perform,” he said.

“Obviously, Rio is part of the team and at the moment is here with us, fully integrated in the team and delivering to expectations.”

Floury added that Toyota doesn’t have a Japanese rider in its roster who could fill a vacancy in Hypercar next year, further boosting Masson’s chances.

“We have some candidates, but right now, not necessarily ready to step in at short notice,” he said.

How Hirakawa could fare in F1

Ryo Hirakawa, Haas F1 Team VF-26

Floury has followed Hirakawa’s progress since he stepped into the seat previously occupied by Nakajima in 2022. Further, the French engineer has also evaluated the performance of several F1 drivers who went on to race in the WEC, including Kobayashi, Sebastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Nyck de Vries.

Given his age and limited single-seater racing experience at an international level, Hirakawa would be a left-field choice for Haas.

But Floury said has “no concerns” about how Hirakawa would adapt to grand prix racing, citing his extensive experience in Super Formula and private F1 testing.

“Ryo has clearly developed through the years,” he said. “He's a very strong member of our team. He's delivering good races every weekend. He's definitely on it.

“He is not here [in Hypercar] because he's Japanese; he's here because he's performing.

“We have good and strong references in WEC and in our team as well. He's showing every weekend that he's at a very high level.

He added: “Ryo has done a lot of single-seaters before. So, it's nothing new.

“He's also been driving the TPC car with us in many sessions. So, he's up to speed. I'm not concerned.

“As for what's next, I'm not in a position to comment because it's not decided and not directly important.”

Toyota is set to make another change to its line-up, with Kevin Estre set to join from Porsche on a loan basis to replace Mike Conway, who expected to depart the Cologne-based team after 12 seasons.

To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.

Read full story at source