Ayao Komatsu joined Haas at a time when many had already written them off. However, he is now leading the team’s resurgence.
Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner was an immensely popular figure. His appearances in Drive to Survive and longevity with the American outfit contributed to this.
When news emerged that Gene Haas replaced Steiner over disagreements about investment, sentiment towards the team generally soured.
This reaction was hardly irrational, given the team’s failure to invest in its facilities throughout its history. Mid-season development remains a well-established Achilles heel.
Newly promoted Ayao Komatsu showed tremendous self-awareness in his first weeks as team boss. The 48-year-old downplayed the team’s chances for the start of 2024.
However, one area that he made clear could not be compromised was deliberate and sustained progress on tyre degradation.
Komatsu made this the North Star of pre-season development at Haas. So far, indications suggest there has been meaningful progress in this department.
Race simulations are far more consistent, and Nico Hulkenberg’s P10 in qualifying shows absolute performance is also much better.
With this in mind, the Haas team principal is targeting points:
“In Q3, we had, let’s say, a calm state of mind to know that we’re not racing Mercedes or McLaren tomorrow.
“So we kept one new set of tyres for Nico for Saturday, and we’ve given ourselves the best chance.
“I’d like to think that all the things we’ve been learning from pre-season testing and from yesterday’s high-fuel runs, we can put it into practice tomorrow.
“And try and score some points.”
There is no denying that significant limitations still exist at Haas.
The team’s ceiling is still capped by a lack of infrastructure and financial firepower compared to rivals.
However, Ayao Komatsu is displaying the kind of resourcefulness that made F1 fans so fond of Haas in the first place.
In tomorrow’s race, Haas could make another huge statement and change the narrative.
Author: Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
