Haas faced a major setback at the Sau Paulo Grand Prix as Alpine moved ahead of them in the Constructors’ Championship standings thanks to a stunning double podium finish from Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly under chaotic wet weather conditions. The result saw Alpine jump from ninth to sixth in the standings, leaving Haas with just three races to fight back.
Despite the setback, Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu remains optimistic. Speaking on the team’s official X (formerly Twitter) account, Komatsu encouraged the team and its fans to stay focused on reclaiming the spot.
“It’s tight and it’s going to be difficult, but that’s why we race – if it was easy, we’d all be doing it. P6 is well within our reach, we just need to focus and take it within our control, and that’s our target for the next three races. I hope you’ll be with us all the way until the final checkered flag,” Komatsu shared.
“It’s tight and it’s going to be difficult, but that’s why we race – if it was easy, we’d all be doing it!
“P6 is well within our reach, we just need to focus and take it within our control, and that’s our target for the next three races. I hope you’ll be with us all the way… pic.twitter.com/rXIAzCdREW
— MoneyGram Haas F1 Team (@HaasF1Team) November 16, 2024
With Alpine sitting at 49 points and Haas close behind with 46 points, the battle for P6 is far from over. To make things even more interesting, RB (Red Bull’s sister team) is also in the hunt, just two points behind Haas. With just three more races left in the season, every single point will be crucial for these teams as they fight it out for a significant chunk of the constructor’s prize money.
Alpine’s achievement in Brazil was not just a fluke
While many dismissed Alpine’s performance in Brazil as a one-off, their pace throughout the weekend suggested otherwise. Ocon qualified in fourth for the Grand Prix, and even though Gasly was affected by a red flag in Q2, both drivers had a strong car on Sunday.
Scenes we didn’t expect to see!
33 points in one day for Alpine pic.twitter.com/OKMhIXJ46l
— Motorsport.com (@Motorsport) November 3, 2024
What helped them further was the brilliant strategy call from the team to keep them out during the VSC period which was soon followed by a Red Flag, giving them essentially a free pit stop and track position. Adding to Haas’ challenges, RB now has two quick drivers, with Liam Lawson delivering some strong performances alongside Yuki Tsunoda.
Lawson’s addition gives RB an edge in their fight for points, making Haas’s job of reclaiming P6 even more difficult. For Komatsu, however, finishing P6 would be a huge achievement, especially considering Haas finished last in the championship in 2023.
The Constructors’ Championship prize money structure highlights what’s at stake for Haas as the team in P6 will earn $95 million, compared to $87 million for P7 and $78 million for P8.
