Before the start of the 2024 season, Guenther Steiner became the first notable figure to lose his job among all F1 teams. Steiner’s efforts to make Haas stronger did not reflect on the track, which is why the owner Gene Haas reportedly replaced him with a more technical Ayao Komatsu. However, recent reports suggest that Steiner was let go because Haas did not want to waste money unnecessarily.
Haas joined the F1 grid in 2016, and Steiner was an ever-present figure between then and 2023. He did his best to elevate the team with minimal resources, but his popularity soared because of off-track endeavors, including Netflix’s Drive to Survive.
Neither Haas nor Komatsu, want to waste money. This was a trend during Steiner’s era, where there was more focus on sponsorship, marketing, and other factors that didn’t concern engineering. In an episode of the Beyond the Grid podcast, the Japanese team boss said, “Gene wants performance to increase and hates wasting money, something we have done in recent years. So there needs to be a, there will be better cooperation and then those performances will come naturally”.
Another thing that Komatsu wants to focus on is, streamlining their operations. Haas is an outfit that operates out of three bases; one in Kannapolis (USA), one in the UK, and one in Italy (Ferrari’s Maranello HQ). This makes operations difficult for the team, and Komatsu stated that Gene Haas wants to rectify it.
Haas’ strong start under Ayao Komatsu
Haas‘ pre-season was not promising, and after Steiner’s departure, a transitional phase wherein the team struggled to score points would not surprise many. However, Haas’ start to the campaign has been strong under new boss Komatsu.
A huge drive from Nico and Kevin to deliver our first double-points finish since July 2022 #HaasF1 #AusGP pic.twitter.com/F93KtdUcFw
— MoneyGram Haas F1 Team (@HaasF1Team) March 24, 2024
Komatsu, who has lifted the team’s engineering prowess, has turned the American outfit into a contender for the points. They have just four points after four races, but overall, the progress seems to be on the ascendency, when compared to the struggles they faced under Steiner.
Haas will also bring in upgrades as the season progresses, with the first boost predicted to come at the Emilia Romagna GP in Imola. The future of Haas seems bright under Komatsu, who is adamant that he doesn’t want to replace Steiner’s character, but build something of his own.
