Rio Hirakawa will take the wheel of Haas in Hungary.

      Rio Hirakawa will return to the wheel of Haas at the upcoming Hungarian Grand Prix. The Japanese driver will replace Oliver Berman in the first free practice session. For Rio, this will be his eighth career participation in the first practice and the second in 2026 after the stage in Austria.

      Ayo Komatsu, team principal: "At Spa, we managed to make some progress in understanding the characteristics of the VF-26 and improving its performance, although the final result on Sunday was very disappointing.

      For the last race before the summer break, we are heading to the Hungaroring, where we will face completely different challenges compared to Spa. On Friday, we have some testing to do to better understand the car.

      Rio will replace Oliver in the first practice, and we are very curious to see how he can build on his success after his participation in the practice in Spielberg.

      As always, the competition is very high, but we intend to make the most of the available opportunities before the long-awaited summer break."

      Rio Hirakawa: "First of all, I want to thank Toyota and Haas for the opportunity to get back behind the wheel of the car in the first practice in Hungary. This will be my second experience with the VF-26 after a challenging first session in Austria, where aerodynamic tests and red flags prevented me from completing several fast laps. Next week, I will have that opportunity, and it is very encouraging.

      The track is really challenging, quite short and narrow with a lot of slow and medium-speed corners. It will be very interesting to push to the limit and provide the team with useful information that will help find effective car setups for the second practice and the rest of the weekend."

      Oliver Berman: "Given our recent results, it would be logical to think that we are already counting down the days to the summer break. But, to be honest, the whole team wants to finish the first half of the season on a high note.

      This week I will miss the first session as my car will be driven by Rio. I am curious to watch the practice from the sidelines and hear his feedback. His input is very important for the team.

      Hungary has a technical track that somewhat resembles a karting circuit, but at the Hungaroring, you need a lot of downforce. Right now, my main task is to maintain the level of stability that I have been showing lately and to keep the team's fighting spirit during this challenging period.

      Everyone continues to work on finding extra speed, and I am very proud of that. That's all we can ask from the team."

      Esteban Ocon: "The Hungarian Grand Prix is one of my favorite races of the season. I am looking forward to getting back on track, and every year I receive great support from Hungarian fans here. In 2021, I had my best day in Formula 1 at the Hungaroring, so coming back here is always special.

      During race week, the city literally comes alive, and that makes the atmosphere even better. I can't wait to return and hope we have a good weekend ahead."