The new boss at Haas expects a slow start to 2024 F1 season

Ahead of the surprise announcement that Lewis Hamilton will leave Mercedes at the end of the 2024 F1 season and join Ferrari on a ‘multi-year deal’, the biggest personnel news in F1 this off-season is Gunter’s shock departure was. Steiner. The only team principal the team had ever known left, and was replaced by Ayao Komatsu.

The next team boss has a big job to fill, both in terms of personality and performance.Steiner became famous after becoming a star in the Netflix documentary series He drive to surviveAnd while it may take time for Komatsu to develop into such a role, the more pressing question is how he can pave the way for Haas on the track.

Although the team finished in last place a year ago, the VF-23 was impressive at times with its single-lap pace, leading to some great qualifying results, such as Nico Hulkenberg’s performance at the Canadian Grand Prix, but the race I had a hard time. pace. Haas brought major upgrades to the American Grand Prix in the second half of the season, but as Komatsu stated in a Q&A provided to the media, SB Nationwhich slowed down work on VF-24.

As a result, Komatsu expects the team to start the year at a disadvantage.

“Coming out of the gate in Bahrain, as I said, I still think we are at the back of the grid, if not the back of the grid. I spent a lot of time talking to managers on both sides, and they’re excited because it’s an opportunity for improvement and there’s room for improvement everywhere,” Komatsu said.

“The reason our launch spec cars aren’t fast enough in Bahrain is not because of the quality of the staff we have here, it’s because we started late and then spent two months doing the Austin upgrades. Because it stopped,” the Haas boss added. “It was a real waste of resources and we lost time there, but the team is doing well in the wind tunnel so that’s positive and we’re moving in the right direction in terms of properties. I’m here.”

Komatsu also outlined what the team will focus on during preseason testing.

“The focus is to have a good test program in Bahrain so that the team can leave testing with quality data to analyze and understand the direction in which to develop the car,” Haas said. the team representative said. “This means understanding exactly the strengths and weaknesses of the VF-24 and having a consistent plan for updating the car, something that hasn’t been done before.”

Will it help that understanding process? Two veteran drivers: Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen. Haas has retained both drivers for the 2024 campaign and Komatsu will ask them for their insight into the VF-24 and the upgrade process.

“The driver will also play a stronger role. Last year, we saw weaknesses in the car in terms of subjective feedback from the driver, but we were not able to translate that into the car’s development program. ” Komatsu added. “With the changes we have made within the team, we aim to address this issue so that drivers are more in the loop of the development path so that nothing is lost. We have all the data, but the only thing we can’t do is drive the car and feel what’s going on. So we need to be able to better understand and react to driver feedback. ”

Haas has also added a number of additional members to its technical team, which Komatsu believes will give it a stronger foothold to upgrade its cars during the season. It has been a thorn in the side for the team in recent years, and although the challengers got off to a strong start, Haas saw a decline as the season progressed as they watched their rivals bring upgrades to the track week after week.

Coach Komatsu believes that by making reinforcements, the team will be able to close the gap during the season.

“We are therefore making changes to our technical structure to ensure that everything we discover on the track is reflected in the development of the car,” Komatsu added.

“If you look at the previous organizational structure, there is no clear path to closing the loop on that side. Everything found trackside is now a closed loop that goes to the aero, wind tunnel, and CFD departments. Now, even if we disagree, everyone has a clear understanding of why we are developing this car in a certain way,” added Haas’s new boss. “That’s one of the main reasons why we couldn’t make upgrades to the car and retreat during the season. Now we’re already working that way and there’s much more transparency, openness and communication. So we believe we have a much better chance of properly upgrading the car this year.”

Next, Komatsu highlighted the additions to the team.

“Our new technical director is Andrea de Zordo. He has previously served as chief designer and is a very technical person. I am very satisfied with this appointment because they listen to my opinions. We are currently recruiting for a chief designer, and I think we have talented people within the company, so I would like to aim for promotion within the company. ” Komatsu said.

“Another important role is that of performance director. This is a role that did not exist before, but we created this role by bringing Damien Brayshaw, who was previously head of the vehicle performance group, into that role. He will oversee and drive the direction of upgrades along with all other departments that analyze full-size cars, including the aero department, trackside engineering, vehicle performance group, and tire group.” continued the Haas boss. “These are important changes. We’re bringing everyone on board to talk and help steer the ship.”

Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images

Still, beyond questions about VF-24, the biggest question facing Haas this season may be Komatsu itself. How he handles the transition, as Haas’ second team principal in its history, may ultimately tell the story of Haas’s next generation.

So how is he dealing with this move?

“Obviously it’s been busy, but it’s been very positive. Everyone I talk to sees this as an opportunity to improve. I think a lot of people felt the same – where this team is headed. “I don’t know if I’m good enough or how I’m going to improve,” Komatsu said when asked about his new role. “We need clear goals, vision, communication, and we need to remove certain barriers that didn’t need to exist. Everyone knows what they’re working on and how this team is moving forward. We need to understand what we’re doing and our approach to how we move forward with the race.

“I spend a lot of time talking to as many people as possible, sharing my approach, and getting feedback. Of course, I’m not trying to do this myself, quite the opposite. We have great people, and it’s my job to provide an environment where they can thrive and achieve their full potential. Everyone is so kind, motivated, and positive, so it’s great.”