Kohei Hirate

Kohei Hirate (平手晃平, Hirate Kohei, born 24 March 1986 in Komaki, Aichi) is a Japanese race car driver.

Career

Hirate began karting in 1999 when he was 13. After winning the All Japan Junior Kart Championship, coming third and fifth in the All Japan Kart Championship and coming third in the FIA Oceania Championship, he moved on to Formula Toyota, where he raced for the Tom's Spirit team and came second with four wins to his name.

Hirate during free practice for the first Motegi round of the 2010 Formula Nippon season.

In 2003, he moved to Formula Renault, at the Prema Power team. In his two-year spell here he won 7 races and came second in the 2004 season. In 2004 he also raced for Prema Power's Formula Three Euroseries team twice, and in 2005 made the decision to race here. After coming twelfth for Team Rosberg, he was made a Toyota F1 test driver in 2006 and came third in the Formula Three Euroseries. In 2007 he continued as a Toyota test driver and also drove for GP2 team Trident Racing.

Hirate returned to Japan in 2008, where he competed in both Formula Nippon and Super GT. He finished fourth in the 2008 Formula Nippon season and fifth in 2009, both times driving for Team Impul.

Racing record

Career summary

• * Season still in progress.

Complete GP2 Series results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Complete Formula Nippon/Super Formula results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Complete Super GT results

External links

• Kohei Hirate official website