Ayao Komatsu has offered insight on Haas, as its eventful tenure in F1 since 2016 reaches 200 races.
Back in Australia in 2016, Haas shocked F1 by securing a sixth-place finish in its inaugural race, courtesy of Romain Grosjean.
The team enters the Canadian GP as a stalwart of the paddock, and has firmly underlined its reputation as the sport’s underdog team.
Speaking in the Team Principal’s Press Conference on Friday, Haas Team Principal Ayao Komatsu walked through the team’s journey in F1 to date.
“I don’t think we’ve got enough time to talk about our journey. But yeah, I still remember ten years ago like yesterday—car build, pre-season testing, going on to Melbourne.
“And then, lots of ups and downs happened since, but now really proud that we are here. 200 races, and improving the team, fighting in the midfield. So yeah, something I think all of us in the team should be proud of.”
A grid tenure of highs and lows
Asked to elaborate on the highs and lows of Haas’ time in F1, Komatsu reminisced the team’s triumphs and challenges. Komatsu has been with the American outfit since its first race, and has seen the polarising and brutal events of an F1 season.
“The first high was really the first race in 2016, Melbourne. By the time we left car build, we felt like we’d done a season already.
“Then we realized that we hadn’t done anything. Then pre-season testing—we don’t remember much because we hadn’t slept much. And then going to Melbourne, we were really almost dead., and then couldn’t do the pit stop practice, then to score the P6 with Romain was amazing.
“And then following that with Bahrain, race two, with a P5 with Romain on the aggressive strategy. So those are the clear highs. 2018 was a really good season, and Austria, P4 and P5, was an amazing result. It really was like a win for us.
“And then the low was when we started going in the wrong direction in 2019, and we couldn’t fix the car. We had a half-decent qualifying car, but we just couldn’t race, and they couldn’t solve it for the entire season. That was a low.
And then COVID hit, and we really couldn’t do much. So that was a low. But now, we are improving again. So, it’s good.”
Haas’ hopes for the Canadian GP
Pressed on what the team can achieve in its landmark race, Ayao Komatsu was coy on giving firm targets.
“Honestly, expectations are always very difficult. Every single circuit we go, especially with the C6 tyre, which is very sensitive, I find it a bit difficult to predict exactly where we’re going to be.
“And then for me, just here in Montréal, we focus on having a clean weekend, build up to it, and then try to get the best out of the car and drivers. And then hopefully we can fight for the points, but a long way to go. Yeah, we need to improve the car quite a bit.”
