Latest news with #Hirakawa
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
Driver given surprise audition for F1 seat as boss explains 'what happens next'
Haas and Toyota used their collaboration to stage another Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) event, this time at the Fuji Speedway in Japan where two drivers got behind the wheel The reigning champion in the Japanese Super Formula series has taken part in an "audition" test in a Formula 1 car. The test, held at Fuji Speedway in Japan this week, saw two drivers from the Asian country drive the Haas VF-23 which raced in the 2023 F1 World Championship. Such Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) sessions have been made possible by the team's partnership with Toyota, formalised last year. The Japanese carmaker, through its Gazoo Racing arm, helps Haas with technical resources and, in return, its staff get experience of the pinnacle of motorsport. And that includes opportunities for the drivers it employs in other disciplines. Ryo Hirakawa is one such driver who has benefitted from that partnership and is reserve driver for the team, having also driven free practice sessions for several outfits on the F1 grid. Hirakawa, 31, a double World Endurance Championship title-winner, was one of those two drivers who got behind the wheel in Fuji. He drove on Tuesday, in front of a crowd invited to the circuit to watch the track action. For the second of the two days of running, there was a debutant in the cockpit. Sho Tsuboi, 30, who won the Super Formula title last year and also races GT cars, got his first experience of F1 machinery. According to Masaya Kaji, Toyota Gazoo Racing's director of global motorsport, the test was not just a prize for Tsuboi's Super Formula success. "What happens next depends entirely on Tsuboi's performance and his communication with the team," he said. "This is an audition or a selection test, not just because of his experience. We want to assess his real performance. He has to work hard and communicate in English. The goal is to assess his potential. Tsuboi has great potential, but it's not just his results. The test is not a reward for becoming Super Formula champion. "These TPC tests are part of our people efforts, as we will focus on human resource development. I believe that Sho, a former Super Formula champion, will not only contribute to the development of his skills, but will also provide great motivation for the other TGR drivers. Sky Sports launches discounted Formula 1 package This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more £43 £35 Sky Get Sky Sports here Product Description "In addition, mechanics and engineers from Toyota Motor Corporation will be present, making this an invaluable opportunity for them as well . Experiencing first-hand the technologies and skills required on the world's highest stage, F1, will certainly be an important experience for their growth." Hirakawa and Tsuboi are not the first Toyota drivers to be given the chance to test modern F1 machinery in recent months. Haas also ran former F1 driver Kamui Kobayashi, who now races in the World Endurance Championship, and Formula 2 star Ritomo Miyata in the same car at other TPC outings, giving Toyota valuable data to compare Tsuboi's performance. Regardless of how well he did, it is not going to be a route onto the 2026 F1 grid. Haas already have Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman tied down to contracts for next season, though the latter remains a Ferrari junior driver and the American team might have to hastily find a replacement should the Brit be called up by the Scuderia at some point.
San Francisco Chronicle
03-08-2025
- Science
- San Francisco Chronicle
Bay Area study finds overlooked earthquake risk from prolonged shaking
Some parts of the Bay Area are prone to an underexplored earthquake risk, according to a recent study led by U.S. Geological Survey scientists. In these places, quakes can produce long periods of shaking — something unaccounted for in existing building codes, but which can have devastating impacts. 'Prolonged shaking was very important in Northridge,' said Emily Brodsky, a professor of earth and planetary sciences at UC Santa Cruz, referring to a magnitude-6.7 earthquake that struck the Los Angeles area in 1994. The quake killed at least 57 people and damaged over 100,000 structures. The authors of the new study analyzed ground motion records during 49 Bay Area earthquakes, occurring from 2001 to 2024. The quakes ranked in strength from magnitude 3 to magnitude 6. In total, the scientists probed about 7,400 ground measurements from seismometers across the region. They identified locations where earthquakes resulted in longer periods of shaking than expected. The authors reported that the type of rock or soil that underlies a region is a major risk factor in longer-duration shaking. 'We talk a lot about the bay mud,' said study author Evan Hirakawa, a research geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey's Earthquake Science Center. 'This is really young claylike mud that's around the San Francisco Bay. That's where it's known to shake a lot more intensely.' During the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, the double-decked Cypress Structure collapsed in West Oakland, killing 42 people. The freeway was built on soft bay mud, Hirakawa said. The Santa Clara Valley, the San Francisco Bay shoreline and Santa Rosa also registered long-duration shaking, according to the study. Some locations, like Foster City, even experienced 'ringing,' a phenomenon in which seismic waves resonate to produce longer periods of shaking. By contrast, stations on hard bedrock generally experienced less cumulative shaking. That includes parts of San Francisco and in the East Bay Hills. This is because granite or hard bedrock shakes much less than young, soft sediments. 'Think about if you were to flick a brick versus a bowl of jelly,' Hirakawa explained. The authors reported that long-duration shaking was also affected by how earthquakes ruptured underground and how seismic waves traveled to a particular site. One limitation of the work is that the authors only investigated small- and moderate-sized earthquakes, which are less complex than stronger quakes. 'We need to be thoughtful about how the findings apply to larger and more destructive events,' said Jack Baker, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University who wasn't part of the study. Still, Baker highlighted the importance of investigating shaking duration. 'In the engineering world, we really focus on the peak intensities and the peak forces that that produces,' Baker said. 'These metrics around duration are definitely relatively less studied.' The findings from the new study aren't surprising, said Brodsky, who also wasn't part of the research. But the results are still valuable: 'When you actually have to build a building, you don't want to just know, in general, it rings more in the basins,' Brodsky said. 'You'd like to know how much it rings more, in this basin."
The Independent
07-04-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
Haas poach F1 driver from Alpine in surprise move ahead of Bahrain GP
Haas have announced the signing of Ryo Hirakawa as its reserve driver for the 2025 season, with the former Alpine test driver set to feature this weekend at the Bahrain Grand Prix. Japanese driver Hirakawa, 31, was one of four reserve drivers at Alpine and drove in place of Jack Doohan in first practice at his home track in Suzuka on Friday. Yet Hirakawa, who races for Haas partner Toyota in the World Endurance Championship, has been snapped up by compatriot Ayao Komatsu, Haas' team principal, and will take part in four practice sessions for Haas this year. His first appearance will be in Ollie Bearman's car in FP1 on Friday in Bahrain. Hirakawa also drove for Haas in the post-season test in Abu Dhabi last year. 'I'm driving my first FP1 session in Bahrain, so for me to have driven at two race weekends in a row is exciting, and I can't wait to get to Bahrain,' Hirakawa said. 'I would like to thank Komatsu, Haas F1 Team, Morizo [Akio Toyoda, chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation] and Toyota Gazoo Racing for this opportunity, it's a new challenge for me and I can't wait to get started.' Hirakawa, who will also feature in practice in Barcelona, Mexico and Abu Dhabi, only joined Alpine in the off-season from a testing role at McLaren. He finished 12th in FP1 on Friday, above teammate Pierre Gasly, and has impressed those within the paddock with his experience and skillset. 'It's great to welcome Ryo to Haas F1 Team and have his experience bolster our knowledge and understanding of the VF-25,' said Komatsu. 'His feedback was very detailed at the post-season test last year, so being able to provide Ryo valuable track time across four different circuits this year will help the entire team. 'As part of our collaboration with Toyota Gazoo Racing, it's great to welcome new talent into the team – it's a real pleasure to work with a racer of his driving acumen.' Hirakawa won the 2022 24 Hours of Le Mans event with Toyota and also won the WEC title that year. Alpine, meanwhile, still have three reserve drivers in the form of Paul Aron, Kush Maini and Franco Colapinto, with the latter hotly tipped to replace Jack Doohan in the cockpit at some point in 2025.
Reuters
07-04-2025
- Automotive
- Reuters
Hirakawa joins Haas as F1 reserve driver after Suzuka outing
April 7 (Reuters) - Japanese driver Ryō Hirakawa has joined Haas's reserve roster and will take the wheel at four practice sessions this Formula One season, the American outfit said on Monday. Hirakawa will replace Briton Ollie Bearman for the first free practice at the Bahrain Grand Prix this week and again in Mexico later in the season. Esteban Ocon will make way for the 31-year-old Hiroshima native for practice sessions at the Spain and Abu Dhabi races, Haas said. Hirakawa, winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2022 with Toyota, made his practice debut at his home grand prix at Suzuka with Alpine last week, replacing Australian rookie Jack Doohan. He tested Haas's VF-25 car at Abu Dhabi in the off-season after being a reserve for 2024 champions McLaren. "His feedback was very detailed at the post-season test last year, so being able to provide Ryō valuable track time across four different circuits this year will help the entire team," Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu said in a statement. Haas are sixth in the constructors' championship with 15 points after the first three races, with Bearman finishing 10th at Suzuka and Ocon 18th behind Red Bull's winner Max Verstappen.
BBC News
24-02-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Hirakawa makes permanent Bristol City switch
Japanese forward Yu Hirakawa has signed a permanent deal with Bristol City. The 24-year-old joined the Championship side on a season-long loan in July from J-League side Machida Zelvia and has scored two goals in 29 appearances. Hirakawa helped Japan reach the quarter-finals at last summer's Olympic Games but has yet to win a full cap for his country. He scored his first goal for the club in a 2-0 win at Middlesbrough in October before also netting in the 3-1 win at Preston North End the following Robins have not disclosed if a fee has been paid for Hirakawa, who has agreed a deal which will run until the summer of 2028."Yu has been brilliant for us and he's only going to improve," head coach Liam Manning told the club website, external. "He's adjusting well to the English game and we're really looking forward to seeing how he develops over the next few seasons."
