Alpine has added another driver to its roster for the F1 2025 season, amid speculation over Franco Colapinto’s future in the sport.

Alpine will field Ryo Hirakawa in a test and reserve driver role this season, with the Japanese driver joining Paul Aron as part of the team’s roster behind the race drivers Pierre Gasly and Jack Doohan.

Alpine signs Ryo Hirakawa to F1 2025 roster

30-year-old Japanese racing driver Ryo Hirikawa will be available to Alpine as a reserve and test driver this season, with the Le Mans 24 Hours winner being signed by the Enstone-based squad.

Hirikawa boasts an impressive racing pedigree, with championship wins in the World Endurance Championship as part of Toyota Gazoo Racing’s hypercar line-up in 2022 and ’23.

He was part of the winning line-up for the 2022 Le Mans 24 Hours, and also raced to third in the Super Formula series. He has also been a regular frontrunner in Japan’s Super GT 500 class as multiple series runner-up, while he won the title outright in 2017.

Such pedigree has attracted attention from F1 teams, with McLaren signing the Japanese driver to its driver development programme in 2023.

Serving as a reserve driver for McLaren last season, he carried out a TPC (testing of a previous car) outing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in October, driving a 2021 MCL35M.

He carried out McLaren’s young driver running at the 2024 Abu Dhabi GP, in place of Oscar Piastri, before taking part in the post-season test with Haas – this came about due to his links to Toyota, who have signed as a technical partner with the American squad.

Hirikawa’s appointment comes in the same week that Argentinean media has claimed Fraco Colapinto is set to join Alpine’s driving roster during F1 2025, perhaps in place of Jack Doohan. The Australian is under contract for the season but, like any F1 contract, his future is likely contingent on the performance he produces during his debut season in the sport.

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Hirakawa’s Alpine duties will include simulator work and a TPC programme, while he will also get the chance to drive in front of his home crowd at Suzuka for the third round of the F1 2025 season.

“It is an honour to be joining BWT Alpine Formula One Team as a Test and Reserve Driver for the 2025 season,” he said.

“As always, the opportunity of track time in Formula One machinery is the pinnacle for race drivers and I am excited to drive in Free Practice 1 in front of my home crowd at the Japanese Grand Prix, as well as working with the team testing previous cars.

“It is a great opportunity to be working with such a dedicated team that utilises the breadth of experience of its driver pool and I look forward to playing a part in making 2025 a positive year together.”

With TGR also embarking on a development programme with HiTech in Formula 2 and Formula 3, the links between Alpine – who appointed HiTech founder Oli Oakes as team boss six months ago – and Hirikawa are clear.

“It is great to bring Ryo on board with the team for 2025 and have him step in to take over driving duties for FP1 in Japan in front of his home crowd,” Oakes said of the announcement.

“His addition brings a diverse range of racing experience to our current roster and expands the pool of talent available to call upon throughout the season.

“His role will be important in providing the team with support in various areas of development through our TPC programme and simulator work, and we are looking forward to welcoming him to the team as we press ahead with preparations for the new season.”

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