Haas rolls the dice with a one-car upgrade in Japan, hoping to tame high-speed instability on the twisting Suzuka circuit.
Haas F1 is set to trial its first upgrade of the season on the VF-25 this weekend at the Japanese Grand Prix — but only on one car.
Team Principal Ayao Komatsu confirmed that the update is designed to address the car’s instability at high speeds, a weakness that’s been holding them back on faster circuits.
The team showed a flicker of promise in Shanghai, where both Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman finished in the points — a much-needed boost after a tough start in Australia, where neither car came close to the top 10.
Still, Suzuka poses a similar challenge. With its sweeping, high-speed corners, it’s the kind of track that exposes any aerodynamic flaws — exactly where the VF-25 has struggled most.
“We’re testing a small update on one of the cars at Suzuka,” said Komatsu. “We think it’ll help reduce the aero load fluctuations we’ve been dealing with. It’s not a big change, but it’s a step.”
The goal is to better understand whether this direction can genuinely fix the issue. If it works well, it could shape Haas’ development path for the coming races.
“If we see a clear improvement, we’ll double down with more work in the wind tunnel and CFD,” Komatsu added. “But if the gains are minimal, we may need to take bigger risks — possibly on the second car. It’s a moving target.”
Komatsu emphasized the importance of aligning the team internally, making sure everyone understands the challenge — and the roadmap.
“I’m happy with how the team has responded. There’s good energy right now. Now we just need to turn that into results.”
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Haas to Trial VF-25 Aero Fix at High-Speed Suzuka
Haas to Trial VF-25 Aero Fix at High-Speed Suzuka
