Hirakawa to replace Doohan in FP1 at Suzuka, Red Bull reveals Honda tribute livery for Japanese GP, and other big updates

Hirakawa to replace Doohan in FP1 at Suzuka

Ryo Hirakawa will replace Jack Doohan for Alpine in FP1 at the Japanese Grand Prix. The 31-year-old, who won Le Mans in 2022, joined Alpine’s reserve pool this year and has been involved in testing and simulator work. He is excited for his home race and has prepared with simulator sessions to help the team with car setup. Doohan, who has faced questions about his future, hopes to learn from Hirakawa’s experience at Suzuka before driving in FP2.

Click here to read the full article by Dan Lawrence (motorsportweek.com)

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Red Bull reveals Honda tribute livery for Japanese GP

Red Bull will honor Honda at the Japanese Grand Prix with a special livery inspired by Honda's RA272, which marked their first Formula 1 victory in 1965. This season, which is the final year of their successful partnership, will see Yuki Tsunoda replace Liam Lawson in the driver lineup. The car will feature a white and red design, including a Japanese flag motif, with special logos celebrating Honda's 60th anniversary of their first F1 win. Max Verstappen and Tsunoda will also wear bespoke race suits and helmets for the occasion.

Click here to read the full article by Balazs Szabo (f1technical.net)

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Most hilarious pranks in F1 history

Formula 1 drivers have pulled off some brutal pranks over the years, from Niki Lauda pretending to find his missing ear to Nelson Piquet leaving Nigel Mansell stranded in the bathroom without toilet paper. Gerhard Berger and Ayrton Senna’s prank war saw Senna getting detained at the border over a fake passport photo while Berger unleashed frogs in Senna’s hotel room. Max Verstappen fell for a fake taxi driver prank, and George Russell’s rivals made sure his only open seat at dinner was next to Max Verstappen after their public feud. Sergio Perez also tricked his team into thinking he had lost power mid-race, only for his engineer to get the last laugh.

Click here to read the full article by Elizabeth Blackstock (planetf1.com)

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What drives Ferrari stars?

What drives the Ferrari drivers? In an exclusive chat, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc open up about the people who have shaped their careers. For Hamilton, it's Michael Jordan and Muhammad Ali, while for Leclerc, it's his dad, whose humility left a lasting impact on him. Take a look to learn more about the inspirations behind their success.

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How well do drivers know each other?

Every driver on the grid was put to the test—how well do they really know their teammates? Who can change a tire on their road car the fastest? Who’s most likely to forget where they parked? Who has the messiest driver room, and who’s the most stubborn? Click here to watch the video!