Alpine has announced the signing of Ryo Hirakawa as its test and reserve driver for the 2025 Formula 1 season.

The Japanese driver, known for his impressive achievements in endurance racing, will take on a multifaceted role with the team, including simulator work and participation in the Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) programme.

Hirakawa brings a wealth of experience from Super Formula, Super GT, and the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). With Toyota, he claimed the 2022 24 Hours of Le Mans victory and secured consecutive FIA WEC titles in 2022 and 2023.

As part of his duties, Hirakawa will drive in FP1 at the Japanese Grand Prix, the third round of the 2025 season. This outing will give him the chance to showcase his skills in front of his home crowd while gaining vital on-track experience in F1 machinery. It follows previous testing and practice outings with McLaren and Haas, which have further prepared him for this opportunity.

Hirakawa said: "It is an honour to be joining BWT Alpine Formula One Team as a Test and Reserve Driver for the 2025 season.

"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."

Alpine team principal Oliver Oakes added: "It is great to bring Ryō 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.

"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."