Ryo Hirakawa secured a surprise championship point on his Formula 1 debut at the Mexico City Grand Prix after post-race penalties for Oscar Piastri, Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly reshuffled the final classification. The Japanese driver, who made a late appearance for Haas in place of Esteban Ocon, moved from 13th to 10th to claim his first-ever F1 point.
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Piastri Penalized for Collision With Lindblad
Oscar Piastri was the first driver to receive a post-race penalty. The McLaren driver was handed a 10-second time penalty for causing a collision with Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad during an attempted overtake at Turn 1.
The stewards determined that Piastri had not been sufficiently alongside Lindblad to claim the corner and that the collision could have been avoided had he moved further to the left before Turn 2, even if that meant leaving the track.
The penalty dropped Piastri out of the points, opening the door for several drivers further down the order to gain positions.
Colapinto and Gasly Lose Points Over Yellow Flag Infringements
Alpine also suffered a major setback after both of its drivers were penalized for failing to slow sufficiently under yellow flags.
Franco Colapinto received a 10-second time penalty for not reducing his speed adequately in a single-yellow-flag sector. Although the Argentine and his team submitted telemetry and photographic evidence to support their case, the stewards were not convinced that he had complied with the regulations. He also received one penalty point on his super licence.
Pierre Gasly faced an even harsher sanction. The Frenchman was found to have failed to slow sufficiently under double-waved yellow flags, which require drivers to significantly reduce speed and be prepared to stop if necessary.
Despite Alpine arguing that Gasly had made a substantial speed reduction, the stewards concluded, after reviewing telemetry and comparing his speed with other cars, that it was insufficient. He received a stop-and-go penalty, converted into a 30-second time penalty after the race, along with two penalty points.
Both Alpine drivers consequently lost their points-paying positions, leaving the team empty-handed despite initially securing a double points finish.
Hirakawa Makes the Most of His Unexpected Opportunity
The three penalties changed the final classification and promoted Ryo Hirakawa into the top 10. The Japanese driver, who had originally crossed the finish line in 13th place, was ultimately classified 10th, earning one championship point for Haas.
It was a remarkable outcome for the 32-year-old, who was given an unexpected opportunity to make his Formula 1 race debut after being called up to replace Esteban Ocon.
Hirakawa’s first Grand Prix weekend therefore ended with a memorable milestone: his maiden F1 point on debut, adding another unexpected storyline to an eventful Mexico City Grand Prix.
The full results of the race according to FIA.com:
