Toyota protege and former member of McLaren's development programme, Ryo Hirakawa has been appointed Alpine's test and reserve driver.

Within his role, he will participate in the team's Testing of Previous Cars programme and support with car development and technical understanding using the team's simulator throughout 2025. He will also drive in Free Practice 1 at the Japanese Grand Prix (04 April) at Suzuka.

Hirakawa brings a wealth of experience to the French team having competed across various disciplines including Super Formula, Endurance, and Super GT as well as having tested F1 machinery with McLaren in 2023 and 2024.

The Japanese driver most notably took overall victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2022 and is a two-time Hypercar Champion in the FIA World Endurance Championship (2022 and 2023).

"It is an honour to be joining Alpine for the 2025 season," said Hirakawa. "As always, the opportunity of track time in Formula One machinery is the pinnacle for race drivers and I am excited to drive in Free Practice 1 in front of my home crowd at the Japanese Grand Prix, as well as working with the team testing previous cars.

"It is a great opportunity to be working with such a dedicated team that utilises the breadth of experience of its driver pool and I look forward to playing a part in making 2025 a positive year together."

"It is great to bring Ryo on board with the team for 2025 and have him step in to take over driving duties for FP1 in Japan in front of his home crowd," added Oliver Oakes. "His addition brings a diverse range of racing experience to our current roster and expands the pool of talent available to call upon throughout the season.

"His role will be important in providing the team with support in various areas of development through our TPC programme and simulator work, and we are looking forward to welcoming him to the team as we press ahead with preparations for the new season."