Under Ayao Komatsu’s leadership, Haas has made a lot of strides both on and off the track. While the team’s performance took a step forward in 2024, they also forged some new partnerships for the team’s long-term future, including a technical partnership with Toyota-Gazoo Racing. Recently, they have also landed an IT partner named Mphasis, which will be working with the Kannapolis-based outfit on multiple fronts.
The CEO of Mphasis, Nitin Rakesh, recently spoke about their collaboration with Haas F1, highlighting that it is a five-year partnership and a long-term commitment for them. Besides working on the cybersecurity aspects for the team, Mphasis will also be looking to bolster the technological foundation of the American outfit ahead of the 2026 aero and engine regulations coming into effect.
“We’ll be looking at everything from their core infrastructure, particularly high-performance computing, to their data platform and data requirements”, he told Business Today.
“They have significant needs when it comes to real-time car performance analytics, looking at every aspect from engine performance to tuning,” Rakesh added.
He also highlighted how they will be working on “computer vision” to enable Haas to identify any potential issues with their cars when they come to the pitlane garage. This will certainly be a huge boost for the efficiency of a small team like Haas, who have often struggled to have state-of-the-art technology and equipment like the top teams.
Mphasis joins the @HaasF1Team as their ‘Official Digital Partner’. This multi-year partnership highlights our commitment to F1 and our longer-term intent to revolutionize sports technology and enhance fan experiences. Learn more about our collaborative journey focused on… pic.twitter.com/ghWDvwMlSn
— Mphasis (@Mphasis) November 22, 2024
The Mphasis CEO also understands the importance of the 2026 regulations which will completely change the car concept with active aerodynamics and new engines with more electrical power. “There will be a lot of planning and testing around the new car. The goal of our partnership is to identify where we can be most effective across all these areas,” he said.
The 2025 season will be a foundational year, says Rakesh, as Haas will be keen to take a significant step forward for 2026 with the tools Mphasis provides.
Mphasis CEO is an F1 fan and keen on Haas’ growth
Given it is a five-year deal between Mphasis and Haas, it is safe to say that the American outfit may have found another long-term partner, which could really help them grow in the future like the OEM manufacturer outfits. These technological partners can help a team’s trajectory immensely, as there is more bandwidth for the leadership to focus on their on-track performance.
Rakesh wishes for the same as he wants to make Haas a “highly effective” team as they head into the 2026 season. He mentioned that this is a “passion project” for him, as he has been an avid F1 fan for 30 years. He also spoke with Haas’ team principal Komatsu and was fascinated to learn about how he and his subordinates deal with a “pressure cooker” environment in F1.
“I’m trying to get a behind-the-scenes look to glean lessons for our own business. How do they use technology, navigate through apparent chaos, control the controllable variables, and respond to unknowns?”, Rakesh added.
Aiming to blend technology into their work, Rakesh is keen on catering to Haas’ needs and facilitating some ease into the lives of their engineers, mechanics, and other team members. He stated that Mphasis will also be looking to learn from the high-performance environment of F1.
