Hirakawa Scores Points on F1 Debut as Alpine Loses Its Mexico Haul to Penalties

Ryo Hirakawa scored points for Haas in his first Formula 1 race, the Mexican Grand Prix. The Japanese driver came in at the last minute to take the seat of Esteban Ocon and finished 13th on the track. Post-race penalties moved him up to 10th.

Alpine drivers handed penalties

Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly finished seventh and ninth, respectively, earning Alpine eight points in total. The result mattered for the French team as it closed the gap to Racing Bulls in the battle for fifth place in the constructors' championship. After the race, however, both drivers were referred to the stewards over suspected yellow flag infringements.

Gasly received a drive-through penalty and two penalty points. When the penalty was converted into a time penalty, he dropped from ninth to 17th, the last classified position. The stewards ruled that he had not slowed enough in a double yellow flag sector. They reviewed telemetry and data from other cars that passed through the same sector.

Colapinto received a 10-second time penalty and one penalty point, which pushed him outside the points to 15th. The stewards found he had not slowed enough in a single yellow flag sector. For the earlier double yellow flag sector, they did not issue a breach because there was serious doubt over whether the driver had received adequate warning.

Hirakawa reflects on his race

With the penalties applied, Liam Lawson also moved up to seventh. Alpine lost all eight of its points, while Haas celebrated its first point of the race.

Hirakawa said he could have done better at the start and on the first lap. He said it was not easy to judge his braking point into the first corner, and that his main goal was to finish the race and gain experience, so he drove cautiously at first. After switching to the soft tyres following the Safety Car, his confidence grew noticeably, and in the final stint he passed two cars on track. He said he had fulfilled a childhood dream and needed time to take in what had happened.