Ayao Komatsu has directly countered one of Guenther Steiner’s key theories about why the Haas Formula 1 team struggled in the past. The team has shown remarkable improvement in 2024, following Steiner’s departure at the start of the season. Komatsu, the new team principal, insists that this success isn’t due to increased funding but rather a more effective use of the existing budget.
In an interview with Auto Motor und Sport, Komatsu emphasized that Haas’ recent strides have nothing to do with a bigger budget. “No extra money had to be spent,” he said. “All the parts we have produced have been within our planned budget. Gene has no problem investing in the team if we deliver performance in the end. Of course, we had to earn his trust and prove to him that we can improve with the resources we have. We had exactly the same budget last year. It’s all about how you use that money and how you get people to work towards a common goal.”
This statement contradicts Steiner’s previous claims that the team’s budget was insufficient to support the necessary performance upgrades. Komatsu’s remarks suggest that Haas’ challenges were not rooted in financial issues but in the management and allocation of available resources.
At the beginning of 2024, Komatsu downplayed projections about Haas’ performance, even predicting that the VF-24 would lag at the back. However, the season revealed a different story, with Haas making a significant leap forward. Komatsu explained, “It’s obvious what happened: the others simply messed up. To be honest, the car we started the season with was nothing special. So we had to assume that the others would do a better job with three times as many employees. Sauber then had problems with the pit stops, Williams with the chassis, Alpine with the further development and the weight — that set them back. We couldn’t have expected that.”
Further, Komatsu attributed their newfound success to an overhaul in team structure aimed at improving communication and cooperation. “There are now clear goals, a clear strategy and fixed responsibilities,” he stated. These organizational changes appear to have played a crucial role in enhancing team performance.
Although Haas is not yet a front-runner, the team has made significant progress in the championship without needing a larger budget to achieve these results. The team’s ascent is a testament to better management and more efficient use of resources rather than financial input.
Haas’ improved performance in 2024 can be largely attributed to efficient use of their existing budget and better team management. Ayao Komatsu’s leadership has steered the team away from financial excuses and emphasized the importance of strategic resource allocation and operational efficiency.
