The 2025 Mexican Grand Prix will be something of a red-letter day for the world’s greatest endurance race as four former winners will be behind the wheel of a single-seater in Free Practice 1. Antonio Fuoco (2024, Ferrari AF Corse), Ryō Hirakawa (2022, Toyota Gazoo Racing), Fernando Alonso (2018 and 2019, Toyota Gazoo Racing) and Nico Hulkenberg (2015, Porsche Team) show how versatile racers can be across motorsport disciplines.

Fuoco’s great reward

Twenty-nine-year-old Fuoco is preparing to make his first-ever appearance on an official Formula One race weekend, in compliance with the rule that requires teams to field a rookie driver in at least two sessions per car over the course of the season. The Italian will take the wheel of Lewis Hamilton’s SF-25. “My debut in an official weekend is something that, both personally and professionally, makes me truly proud and happy,” Fuoco says. “Having the opportunity to drive Lewis’s car and to share the garage with Charles [Leclerc] again, as we did in 2017 in Formula 2, is really special. It will definitely be a Friday to remember, a reward for the work I’ve done over the years in support of the team.”

Fuoco, a member of the #50 Ferrari 499P line-up in the FIA World Endurance Championship, is already familiar with the SF-25 from his simulator work. “Working with Lewis’ engineers and the rest of the team at the track will allow me to grow further and refine the technical sensitivity that I’ll bring back to my work in Maranello,” he explained. “The victory with the Hypercar in the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans will probably remain the highlight of my career, but being able to finally take part officially in a Formula 1 weekend with Scuderia Ferrari HP is an incredible feeling.”

This test session is the culmination of a copybook career that has taken Fuoco from the Ferrari Driver Academy to the development of the 499P Hypercar project, reflecting the strong bond between F1 and endurance.

Hirakawa, reserve driver for MoneyGram Haas F1 Team

Hirakawa, meanwhile, will sit in for Oliver Bearman at the wheel of the MoneyGram Haas F1 Team VF-25. This will be the third Free Practice session of the season for the 31-year-old Japanese racer.

Last April, when Hirakawa’s recruitment as reserve driver was announced, Team Principal Ayao Komatsu said: “Being able to provide Ryō valuable track time across four different circuits this year will help the entire team […] It’s a real pleasure to work with a racer of his driving acumen.” Toyota Gazoo Racing is official technical partner to the American team. The two parties share expertise, knowledge and resources with Toyota Gazoo Racing providing design, engineering and manufacturing services. A technical gateway that illustrates the dynamic interaction between endurance and Formula One.

The priceless experience of Alonso and Hulkenberg

Two-time Formula One world champion Alonso (44) will naturally be one of the focal points of the weekend. The double Le Mans winner, still as competitive as ever, currently sits in 12th place in the championship for Aston Martin.

Hulkenberg, who triumphed at Le Mans with Porsche back in 2015, drives for Kick Sauber and lies in ninth place in the overall classification. The 38-year-old German has an astonishing 246 Grand Prix starts to his name!

Having four former 24 Hours of Le Mans winners compete in an official practice session for a round of the Formula One world championship represents the coming together of two disciplines symbolised by a quest for performance, precision and passion. The 24 Hours of Le Mans rewards innovation, endurance and teamwork, whereas Formula One celebrates pure speed, strategy and technological prowess.

In Mexico City, these four champions offer a reminder that, while differences exist between the two disciplines, they share the same DNA – that of elite motorsport, where every lap counts and where victory illustrates prestige and talent.