Ryō Hirakawa joins the BWT Alpine Formula One Team as a Le Mans 24 Hours winner, one of motorsport’s prestigious ‘triple crown’ events. The Japanese driver clinched this iconic victory on his way to securing the World Endurance Championship with Toyota Gazoo Racing in 2022. And despite only making his first appearance in a Formula 1 car last year, Ryō brings a wealth of experience to his new role with Alpine.

 


Born in Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, on March 7, 1994, Ryō began his motorsport journey by winning a national karting championship before progressing to single-seaters through the Formula Toyota Racing School. He initially competed in Formula Challenge Japan before stepping up to Japanese Formula 3 in 2012. Impressively, he became champion in his debut season, taking multiple victories en route to the title.

 


Ryō soon established himself as a top competitor in his homeland, racing in both the Super Formula and Super GT series. At just 23 years old, he became the youngest-ever champion in the GT500 class, driving a Team Keeper TOM’S Lexus to the title in 2017. His experience in sportscars led to a part-time switch to European competition and he made his debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the same year. Over the following seasons, he balanced his Super Formula commitments with sportscar outings, ultimately securing back-to-back World Endurance Championship titles with Toyota’s GR010 Hybrid in the Hypercar class.

 


Among his career highlights was his 2022 Le Mans victory, shared with fellow Formula 1 drivers Sébastien Buemi and Brendon Hartley. The following year, the trio narrowly missed out on a second consecutive win, losing to Ferrari in the closing stages of the endurance classic. Nevertheless, they retained their overall championship honours that season.

 


Last year, Ryō continued to race with Toyota in WEC and also stepped into Formula 1 as part of McLaren’s development programme, serving as Reserve Driver. He drove an F1 car for the first time during a private test in Barcelona in October 2023 and made his Grand Prix weekend debut in FP1 at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December 2024, completing 19 laps of the Yas Marina circuit. A week later, he gained further F1 experience in the Abu Dhabi Young Driver Test, completing 133 laps for the Haas team.

 


With over a decade of experience at the forefront of professional motorsport in Japan and Europe, the 30-year-old brings a wealth of expertise across multiple disciplines to Alpine. His versatility and knowledge will be invaluable in 2025 as he steps into his new role as Reserve Driver.