Guenther Steiner’s departure from Haas at the end of the 2023 Formula 1 season came as a shock to many in the F1 community, especially since he had been synonymous with the team since its debut in 2016. What came as an even bigger surprise was his replacement, Ayao Komatsu, a name not widely known outside the inner circles of Formula 1 at the time.
While some questioned the decision, team owner Gene Haas appeared to prioritize substance over theatrics. Despite Komatsu’s relatively low profile, Haas saw qualities in him that made him the ideal candidate to lead the team into a new chapter.
Komatsu, a former engineer, has also been with the team since its inception, and in a recent interview with Autosport, he explained why he believes he was chosen to succeed Steiner. “The reason Gene chose me is partly because I’m an engineer so that I should understand what aerodynamicists are talking about in terms of development because Gene focuses on performance,” Komatsu said.
“So you need to be more competitive, but partly because I was there from day one so I know how the team works, I know the people, so how to get the best out of people. I don’t know other teams’ situations, but I think it’s really specific to each scenario,” he added.
“I feel really grateful and lucky…”
We spoke to Haas’ Ayao Komatsu about his journey to becoming an F1 team principal as well as his love of climbing
️ @CoddersF1 pic.twitter.com/yzTE5tSwgT
— Autosport (@autosport) November 12, 2024
He contrasted his style with that of Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, who came through the ranks as an ex-racing driver before taking charge of the Austrian team. Komatsu noted that Horner’s background offers its own advantages but highlighted that every team principal’s approach depends on their experiences and how they apply them.
Komatsu was never keen on the Team Principal role
During the interview, Komatsu admitted that the role of Team Principal wasn’t on his radar, but his consistent focus on improving performance in every role he held helped prepare him for the unexpected opportunity. “I was always focused on my job… But then of course when you do your job, when you know your job very well, then the best you can within the constraint, you always look at, ‘Okay, there’s something else limiting the performance,’” Komatsu shared.
: Haas boss Ayao Komatsu opposes a potential 2026 F1 rule that would force teams finishing fifth or higher to produce all components in-house. Komatsu warns this could harm smaller teams like Haas, which relies on third-party components from Ferrari. The rule could jeopardize… pic.twitter.com/tZD2Ky9ReC
— F1 Naija (@f1_naija) November 15, 2024
“So I was always thinking about that, so when the team principal job offer came from Gene, I had a decent idea what areas we can improve if you like so that was my mentality,” he added. Haas’s decision to part ways with Steiner was likely driven by a disappointing 2023 campaign, where the team finished last in the Constructors’ Championship.
Under Komatsu’s leadership in 2024, however, the team has made noticeable improvements. Haas is currently on course to finish seventh in the championship and is battling Alpine for sixth place.
