Ayao Komatsu says the 2024 Haas F1 car is a step up but he isn’t certain where it stands against the competition when the new season starts.
After the updates brought by Haas in Austin last year and with it not working to the potential they wanted to, the F1 team decided for a concept change which they will bring about in 2024. Ahead of the new season, they have had personnel changes.
Long-time team principal Guenther Steiner has left with Komatsu getting a promotion, where Haas is trying to look at things from a different perspective. The new car will be revealed on February 2, with a shakedown planned for February 11.
But Komatsu is taking things realistically. He can see the car as a step up, but he is not certain if it is good enough against the competition. However, wherever Haas stands in Bahrain, he states that they will build upon that and move ahead in the season.
“I don’t think we understand everything,” said Komatsu to F1 website. “But I think we understand a significant part of it. But then again, the only proof is if we can produce a car that can deal with that problem. So I don’t like to sit here and say that we understand it 100%. We have a decent idea why and where we need to focus on.
“The 2024 car is a clear step, but whether it’s good enough against the competition to start off with, I don’t think so, because we started so late. We changed the concept so late as well, and then by actually doing the Austin upgrade, we diverted our resources a little bit. I’m realistic with the car we’re putting out in Bahrain, but not in a negative manner.
“It’s not the fault of our engineers, our guys. They’re good people. For me, then the key is whatever the car in Bahrain, whatever problem we see, we try to understand it and then move from that point as a team. We are a small team as you know.
“We’ve got to move as one, otherwise we don’t stand a chance. To answer your question directly, it is a step forward. Is it good enough? No. But what we do from that point is how we can show that we can improve the team or not,” summed up Komatsu.
Here’s Kevin Magnussen raised early alarm bells knowing 2019 scene
Here’s Guenther Steiner on his Haas exit
Here’s Gene Haas explaining his decision making
Here’s Haas announcing Ayao Komatsu as new boss
Here’s Nico Hulkenberg on not being overly confident for 2024
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