Ryō Hirakawa

Ryō Hirakawa
Nationality Japan Japanese
Born (1994-03-07) 7 March 1994
Kure, Japan
Super Formula career
Debut season 2013
Current team Kygnus Sunoco Team LeMans
Car no. 7
Starts 7
Wins 0
Poles 0
Fastest laps 0
Best finish 11th in 2013
Previous series
2012
2010–12
2010
All-Japan Formula Three
Formula Challenge Japan
Formula BMW Pacific
Championship titles
2012
2012
All-Japan Formula Three
Porsche Carrera Cup Japan

Ryō Hirakawa (平川亮 Hirakawa Ryō, born 7 March 1994) is a Japanese racing driver, best known for winning the 2012 All-Japan Formula Three Championship.

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 in 2013 with Kygnus Sunoco Team LeMans.

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.

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 will be joined in the KeePer TOM's RC-F by James Rossiter.

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 will also drive in the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time.

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 0 0 1 6 52 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

 – As Hirakawa was a guest driver, he was ineligible for points.

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

* Season still in progress.

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

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. Retrieved 2010-10-06.
  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. 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.

External links

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
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