Haas and the race. In 2023, the two were still arch enemies. No matter what starting position, Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hülkenberg were passed. This was partly due to a miserable car in racing trim, but also partly due to strategy errors. So does Haas have a racing weakness in 2024 despite having a better car? Team boss Ayao Komatsu contradicts this: Some races were also perfectly executed – and mistakes are eliminated.
Komatsu: Hülkenberg race in Saudi Arabia was perfect
Haas has already stood out with some questionable tactics this Formula 1 season. The most attention-grabbing move was probably Kevin Magnussen’s block in Saudi Arabia. The Dane braked all the other cars behind him and created a gap to his teammate Nico Hülkenberg.
At some point, the gap became so large that Hülkenberg had enough time for a pit stop. Hülkenberg left the pits before Magnussen, securing an important point for Haas.
“If we look at Jeddah, Kevin was off the track once when he overtook Tsunoda, but other than that Kevin created a gap big enough for Nico to pit. That was perfection,” said Ayao Komatsu.
But according to Komatsu, that wasn’t the team’s only “perfect” race in 2024. “If you look at Nico’s race in Shanghai, it was perfect.” Hülkenberg also scored a point in China – despite an additional safety car phase. “We’re doing some things very well,” said Komatsu.
Haas vs Red Bull and Co: No point in having 20 people for the strategy
Haas is at a disadvantage compared to most teams, especially in terms of manpower. The Americans probably have the smallest budget in the premier class.
“At the end of the day, one person has to make the decision. If you have to make a call within 15 or 20 seconds, you can’t take into account all the input from all 20 people. So there’s no point in having 20 people,” says Komatsu.
However, according to Komatsu, Haas is not yet ideally staffed. “In our situation, it would help to have a few more people because we are below the critical mass. But it’s not like we need ten more people,” says Komatsu.
Conclusion: Despite already “perfect” races, Haas still has some catching up to do compared to other teams. Komatsu has been team boss since the beginning of the year. However, according to him, changes take time. “Recruiting people won’t happen overnight, it will take a few months. But the main thing is that we know how to improve and solve the problems.”