Haas F1 battles back from a shaky start as Ayao Komatsu reveals how aerodynamic issues cost them crucial time during race weekends.
Haas F1 started the season on the back foot, with a tough outing at the Australian Grand Prix where the VF-25 proved difficult to handle. Team principal Ayao Komatsu has shed light on the root of their struggles, aerodynamic oscillations that set them behind from the very start of race weekends.
“On a typical weekend, we spend most, or at least half, of Friday just figuring out whether we have this issue and how to set up the car in terms of ride height and platform,” Komatsu explained.
“Really, we should be hitting the track in FP1 with a stable base setup and focusing right away on tires and balance. But instead, we’re effectively one session behind, which makes sprint weekends even tougher.”
The team has made progress, and recent outings have shown a more predictable VF-25. Still, Komatsu is cautious. He believes they haven’t fully cracked the code yet.
“I wouldn’t say we fully understand it. If we did, I think we’d be confident in completely eliminating the issue going forward,” he said.
“We’ve grasped parts of it, but not all. There are still some unknowns about how the oscillations start. So no, we’re not in full control yet, but it’s improving every time.”
Looking ahead, Komatsu is optimistic that more consistency could unlock Haas’s true potential.
“If we can nail down that stability and reliability, then fighting consistently in the midfield becomes a real target for us. Whether the Imola upgrade gets us there, that, I’m not sure yet.”
Komatsu Reflects on How Haas F1 Missed Out on Points in Miami
Haas F1 endured a frustrating home race at the Miami Grand Prix, with Esteban Ocon finishing 12th and Oliver Bearman forced to retire. Team principal Ayao Komatsu broke down what went wrong for the American team.
“Miami was a tough race overall,” Komatsu said. “Ollie started from P20, and we were trying to move him forward, but unfortunately a power unit failure ended his race early.”
Ocon had a strong opening stint, holding off Lewis Hamilton for several laps, but the timing of his pit stop proved costly.
“Esteban drove well in the first part, he fought hard and kept Hamilton behind for a while. But we mistimed the pit stop, and Hadjar undercut us. That really compromised the second stint because we couldn’t get past him, and we ended up burning through our tires.”
Despite the missed opportunity, Komatsu pointed out that the VF-25 showed strong pace in qualifying, Ocon made his first Q3 appearance since joining Haas.
“Given Tsunoda’s penalty, we had a real shot at P10, and missing out like that is disappointing. But it’s something we have to learn from,” he said.
“There were moments we got it right, like in Q2 with Esteban, but Q1 and Q3 weren’t as strong. There’s still a lot to understand, our race pace, our decision-making. The pit stop didn’t work out, and as a team, we need to take that on board and come back stronger in Imola.”
- Discover More>Norris and Piastri Admit McLaren Fight Is Inevitable
- Follow us on >FACEBOOK and >TWITTERfor F1 update