Ayao Komatsu highlights the teamwork of Hülkenberg and Magnussen as a model for Haas F1’s 2025 season with Ocon and Bearman.
Ayao Komatsu, Haas F1’s director, was asked what he would miss most about the pairing of Nico Hülkenberg and Kevin Magnussen next year. The Japanese engineer highlighted a specific aspect he hopes to see replicated with Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman in 2025.
“I think it’s the teamwork,” Komatsu said. “If you talk about this year, from the very start, they fully embraced the idea of improving the team. Kevin and Nico helped each other both on and off the track.”
“Of course, Kevin had solid experience with this team—six seasons before this year—so he knew the people, understood what I was dealing with, and was aware of the strengths and weaknesses. But he remained very positive and helped me move the team forward.”
“And Nico, even though he had only been with us for one year before this season, saw enough to make an impact. He’s also a very intelligent guy, and his work ethic is exceptional. So, again, whatever discussions we had, they were both completely aligned.”
Komatsu recalled asking both drivers to trust him when he chose to dedicate Haas’s 2024 private testing sessions to tire management. He praised their dedication to the team’s goals: “When we decided to focus solely on long stints with heavy fuel loads, the drivers weren’t happy.”
“But I said, ‘Look, this is what we need to do because it’s the biggest issue. If we don’t get answers here, we won’t progress.’ Once we were on the same page, they never looked back.”
“They fully bought into the project, committed to the team, and made significant contributions. This dynamic with Kevin and Nico helped both on and off the track, making my job much easier.”
“In the sense that if you need to swap positions, use team orders, or anything else, or during a race program prioritize different fuel loads or strategies that might make one of them look worse than they actually are, they don’t care. They understand we’re working for the team.”
“Ultimately, they were fully focused on the Constructors’ Championship. That teamwork mentality, they kind of led it from the front, if you will.”
“So, I need to recreate that next year with Ollie and Esteban. That’s probably what I’ll miss the most: their cooperation, their teamwork, and the way they drove the team forward as integral parts of it.”
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Hülkenberg-Magnussen Exit: What Haas F1 Will Miss Most Hülkenberg-Magnussen Exit: What Haas F1 Will Miss Most
