Ryō Hirakawa

Ryō Hirakawa (平川亮, Hirakawa Ryō, born 7 March 1994) is a Japanese racing driver, best known for winning the 2017 Super GT Series.

Ryō Hirakawa
Ryō Hirakawa in 2017
Nationality Japanese
Born (1994-03-07) 7 March 1994
Kure, Japan
Super Formula career
Debut season2013
Current teamItochu Enex Team Impul
Car number20
Starts36
Wins1
Poles2
Fastest laps2
Best finish5th in 2018
Previous series
2012
2010–12
2010
All-Japan Formula Three
Formula Challenge Japan
Formula BMW Pacific
Championship titles
2012
2012
2017
All-Japan Formula Three
Porsche Carrera Cup Japan
Super GT

Career

Karting

Born in Kure, Hiroshima, Hirakawa began his racing career in karting at the age of eleven and raced in various local championships, progressing to the KF2 category in 2009, finishing 32nd in the Asia-Pacific Championship.[1][2]

Formula Challenge Japan and Formula BMW Pacific

In 2010, Hirakawa graduated to single–seaters into the Formula Challenge Japan mono-series. He finished two of the eleven races on the podium and finished sixth in the series standings.[3] Hirakawa also contested the final rounds in Formula BMW Pacific, joining the Asia Racing Team.[4][5]

He remained in Formula Challenge Japan for two further years, finishing both years as runner-up; he took one win in 2011 and five wins in 2012.[6][7]

All-Japan Formula Three

In 2012, Hirakawa stepped up to the All-Japan Formula Three Championship with the RSS team.[8] He dominated the first half of the championship, taking seven wins and taking the championship title with it.[9] During the season he also appeared in the Macau Grand Prix.[10]

Super Formula

Hirakawa made his debut in the Super Formula Championship in 2013 with Kygnus Sunoco Team LeMans. At 19 years of age, Hirakawa was the youngest driver in the championship

In 2014, he scored his first Super Formula podium finish in the July 13 race at Fuji Speedway, finishing second after running off track while leading on the final lap. Kazuki Nakajima claimed the race victory.

In 2015, he remained with Team LeMans, to be joined by ex-Formula 1 driver Kamui Kobayashi. Hirakawa finished eighth in the championship for the second consecutive season, but did not claim a podium finish. Hirakawa left the series for the 2016 season, focusing on his commitments in Super GT and his new challenges in the European Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Hirakawa returned to Super Formula in 2018 with Team Impul replacing Jann Mardenborough. He achieved his first pole at Autopolis, which was cancelled due to adverse weather and finished fifth in the championship. He continued with Team Impul in 2019 and won his first ever Super Formula race at Motegi.

IndyCar

Hirakawa had tests with Dale Coyne Racing during 2013.[11]

Super GT

Hirakawa made his Super GT debut in 2014 with Lexus Team Petronas TOM's, substituting for Kazuki Nakajima for two races while Nakajima fulfilled commitments in the World Endurance Championship.

He made his full-time debut in 2015 for Lexus Team KeePer TOM's, driving alongside Andrea Caldarelli. He won his first race in just his third career start at Okayama, then won again in the season finale at Motegi. Hirakawa and Caldarelli finished fifth in the championship.

For 2016, Hirakawa was joined in the KeePer TOM's RC-F by James Rossiter.

For 2017, Hirakawa was joined with Nick Cassidy with whom he went onto win the championship.

European Le Mans Series

On February 4, 2016, Toyota Gazoo Racing announced that Hirakawa would be competing in the LMP2 class of the European Le Mans Series.[12] On March 4, Hirakawa was confirmed as the third driver at Thiriet by TDS Racing alongside Pierre Thiriet and Mathias Beche. Hirakawa also drove in the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time. He won his first race in the ELMS at the 2016 4 Hours of Imola on May 15, 2016. Hirakawa also won the following round at the Red Bull Ring. For 2017, Hirakawa joined the No.22 G-Drive entry winning at Monza and heling the No.22 entry to win the LMP2 team's championship.

Racing record

Career summary

Season Series Team Races Wins Poles FLaps Podiums Points Position
2010 Formula Challenge Japan 11 0 0 1 2 17 6th
Formula BMW Pacific Asia Racing Team 3 0 0 0 0 0 NC†
2011 Formula Challenge Japan 13 1 1 0 10 73 2nd
2012 All-Japan Formula Three RSS 15 7 7 5 13 118 1st
Formula Challenge Japan 12 5 4 4 10 91 2nd
Macau Grand Prix Formula Three KCMG by RSS 1 0 0 0 0 N/A NC
Porsche Carrera Cup Japan GARMIN Porsche 12 7 6 ? 9 ? 1st
2013 Super Formula Kygnus Sunoco Team LeMans 7 0 0 2 0 9 11th
2014 Super Formula Kygnus Sunoco Team LeMans 9 0 0 0 1 16.5 8th
Super GT - GT500 Lexus Team Petronas TOM'S 2 0 0 0 0 8 11th
2015 Super Formula Kygnus Sunoco Team LeMans 8 0 0 0 0 13 8th
Super GT - GT500 Lexus Team KeePer TOM'S 8 2 2 0 2 56 5th
2016 European Le Mans Series - LMP2 Thiriet by TDS Racing 5 2 1 ? 3 70 5th
Super GT - GT500 Lexus Team KeePer TOM's 2 0 1 0 2 27 9th
2017 European Le Mans Series - LMP2 G-Drive Racing 4 2 0 ? 3 73 4th
Super GT - GT500 Lexus Team KeePer TOM'S 8 2 1 0 4 84 1st
2018 Super GT - GT500 Lexus Team KeePer TOM'S 8 1 0 0 4 75 2nd
Super Formula Itochu Enex Team Impul 6 0 1 0 2 17 5th
2019 Super GT - GT500 Lexus Team KeePer TOM'S 7 0 0 0 3 63 2nd*
Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters 1 0 0 0 0 0 NC†
Super Formula Itochu Enex Team Impul 7 1 1 0 1 12 10th*

 – As Hirakawa was a guest driver, he was ineligible for points.
* Season still in progress.

Complete Super Formula Results

(Races in bold indicate pole position)

Year Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 DC Points
2013 Kygnus Sunoco Team LeMans SUZ
8
AUT
7
FUJ
11
MOT
7
SUG
Ret
SUZ1
6
SUZ2
4
11th 9
2014 Kygnus Sunoco Team LeMans SUZ
4
FUJ1
Ret
FUJ2
8
FUJ
2
MOT
10
AUT
13
SUG
8
SUZ1
16
SUZ2
5
8th 16.5
2015 Kygnus Sunoco Team LeMans SUZ
12
OKA
9
FUJ
6
MOT
7
AUT
4
SUG
8
SUZ
10
SUZ
5
8th 13
2018 Itochu Enex Team Impul SUZ
Ret
AUT
C
SUG
9
FUJ
4
MOT
2
OKA
3
SUZ
Ret
5th 17
2019 Itochu Enex Team Impul SUZ
Ret
AUT
14
SUG
11
FUJ
12
MOT
1
OKA
12
SUZ
8
10th 12
2020 Itochu Enex Team Impul MOT
1
OKA
4
SUG
2
AUT
12
SUZ
Ret
SUZ
7
FUJ
6
2nd 60

Complete Super GT results

Year Team Car Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 DC Points
2014 Lexus Team Petronas TOM'S Lexus RC F GT500 OKA FUJ
9
AUT
5
SUG FUJ SUZ BUR MOT 20th 8
2015 Lexus Team KeePer TOM'S Lexus RC F GT500 OKA
1
FUJ
6
BUR
6
FUJ
12
SUZ
8
SUG
9
AUT
12
MOT
1
5th 56
2016 Lexus Team KeePer TOM'S Lexus RC F GT500 OKA
2
FUJ
3
SUG
8
FUJ
12
SUZ
Ret
CHA
9
MOT
Ret
MOT
5
9th 38
2017 Lexus Team KeePer TOM'S Lexus LC 500 GT500 OKA
1
FUJ
3
AUT
6
SUG
10
FUJ
6
SUZ
6
CHA
1
MOT
2
1st 84
2018 Lexus Team KeePer TOM'S Lexus LC 500 GT500 OKA
3
FUJ
7
SUZ
3
CHA
8
FUJ
2
SUG
14
AUT
1
MOT
4
2nd 75
2019 Lexus Team KeePer TOM'S Lexus LC 500 GT500 OKA
12
FUJ
7
SUZ
2
CHA
2
FUJ
4
AUT
3
SUG
4
MOT
1
2nd 83
2020 Toyota Gazoo Racing Team KeePer Tom's Toyota GR Supra GT500 GT500 FUJ
1
FUJ
4
SUZ
7
MOT
6
FUJ
4
SUZ
ret
MOT
6
FUJ
2nd* 51*

* Season still in progress.

Complete European Le Mans Series results

Year Entrant Class Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 Rank Points
2016 Thiriet by TDS Racing LMP2 Oreca 05 Nissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8 SIL
Ret
IMO
1
RBR
1
LEC SPA
3
EST
8
5th 70
2017 G-Drive Racing LMP2 Oreca 07 Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8 SIL
2
MNZ
1
RBR LEC SPA
2
ALG
4
4th 73

24 Hours of Le Mans results

Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
2016 Thiriet by TDS Racing Mathias Beche
Pierre Thiriet
Oreca 05-Nissan LMP2 241 DNF DNF
2017 G-Drive Racing Memo Rojas
José Gutiérrez
Oreca 07-Gibson LMP2 327 39th 17th

References

  1. "Profile" (in Japanese). ryo-hirakawa.com. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  2. "Asia-Pacific Championship — KF2 2009". drivedb.com. Driver Database. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  3. "Formula Challenge Japan 2010". Driver Database. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  4. "Formula BMW Pacific Provisional Entry List". macau.grandprix.gov.mo. Macau Grand Prix. Archived from the original on 28 July 2011. Retrieved 6 October 2010.
  5. "Formula BMW Pacific 2010". DriverDB.com. Driver Database. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  6. "Formula Challenge Japan 2011". DriverDB.com. Driver Database. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  7. "Formula Challenge Japan 2012". DriverDB.com. Driver Database. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  8. 開幕ラウンド占有走行 [Travel round the opening possession]. All-Japan Formula Three Championship (in Japanese). Japanese Formula 3 Association. 13 May 2011. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  9. "Japanese Formula 3 Championship – Championship Class 2012". driverdb.com. Driver Database. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  10. "Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix Provisional Entry List". macau.grandprix.gov.mo. Macau Grand Prix. 24 August 2013. Archived from the original on 18 November 2011. Retrieved 6 October 2011.
  11. Glendenning, Mark (14 August 2013). "Ryo Hirakawa closes in on Coyne IndyCar drive". Autosport. Haymarket. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  12. "Toyota GAZOO Racing Outlines 2016 Motorsports Activities". Toyota Global Newsroom. Toyota GAZOO Racing. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Yuhi Sekiguchi
All-Japan Formula Three Championship
Champion

2012
Succeeded by
Yuichi Nakayama
Preceded by
Hideto Yasuoka
Porsche Carrera Cup Japan
Champion

2012
Succeeded by
Ryo Ogawa
Preceded by
Heikki Kovalainen
Kohei Hirate
Super GT
GT500 Champion

2017
With: Nick Cassidy
Succeeded by
Naoki Yamamoto
Jenson Button

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