Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu offers a mixed assessment of his team’s first half of the season: After a strong start, things didn’t go so well
A strong start, followed by a sharp decline: That’s a brief and succinct summary of the Haas team’s Formula 1 season so far. The American team was the big surprise in the early races, with Oliver Bearman even sitting in fifth place in the drivers’ standings at one point, but their fall from grace was just as dramatic.
After the second race of the season, Bearman was able to score only a single point, and Esteban Ocon also managed just three points in total, leading team principal Ayao Komatsu to draw a mixed conclusion. “The start of the season was, of course, quite impressive. To be honest, I hadn’t expected that,” he says, highlighting the positives first.
He praises: “In terms of teamwork, our reliability, and getting the most out of the car—as well as the car’s actual potential—that was far more than I expected, considering that we’re the smallest team and this is the biggest regulation change we’ve ever experienced.”
Staff Not to Blame for Drop in Performance
But then comes the “but”: “Of course, we’ve fallen behind in terms of development, especially after the April break, because the competition has added so much performance to their cars.”
While Haas has also improved its car, it hasn’t been enough to keep pace with the competition. “That’s not our people’s fault,” Komatsu interjects. “Honestly, they’re doing an outstanding job. Because when you look at the size of our team and the limitations we face, you can’t ask for more.”
“They’re very proactive, their team spirit is extremely strong, they work together very collaboratively, and they do everything they possibly can.” Furthermore, everyone has been transparent about mistakes and has worked together to find solutions to improve. “So I can’t ask for more,” says the team principal.
“It’s more a question for me of how I can try to provide them with a better environment. It’s exactly what I said last year: Where we stand now isn’t a reflection of our people’s abilities, but of the environment they find themselves in—and that’s my responsibility.”
With 21 points, Haas currently sits in seventh place in the Constructors’ Championship. There’s no way to move up, since Alpine has already racked up 61 points, and they’ll have to be careful not to get overtaken by Audi. Although Audi has only scored twelve points so far, ten of those came in the last three races.
Do resources play the biggest role in the gap?
What has also become evident under the new Formula 1 regulations, however, is that the top teams continue to have a significant lead over the rest of the field. Quite a few had hoped that the new rules would offer a chance for a new balance of power, but instead, the big teams are even further ahead than before.
Do the significantly greater resources of the top teams come into play even more because of the regulations? “No, I don’t think it’s just a resource gap,” says Komatsu. “It’s too simplistic to put it that way.”
As an example, the Japanese expert cites Racing Bulls, which, in his view, didn’t start the season particularly strongly but have become regulars in the points thanks to strong development. “Where they stand now is very, very impressive,” he praises.
On the other hand, Audi, a well-known manufacturer, still has room for improvement. “Yes, they have resources, but they’re not at the level of the top teams,” he says.
“The fact that Williams is struggling this year compared to last year isn’t, in my opinion, due to a lack of resources. It’s not that simple,” says Komatsu. “But to be successful in Formula 1, you simply have to get everything right. You need the right amount of resources and financial support, but the processes have to be right and the execution has to be perfect.”
