Komatsu heads Haas
The changing of the guard in the team was made official on January 10th Haaswith the alternation in the role of team principal between the Italian Gunther Steiner and the Japanese Ayao Komatsuhad surprised the world of Formula 1.
Gene Haas wanted to break the deadlock, deciding to shake up the team – which finished last in 2023 – by deciding not to renew the Merano manager's contract which expired last December. Fans of Drive to Survive they struggled to understand the choice, given that Steiner had become one of the paddock's points of reference for them. In recent days the South Tyrolean wanted to remove a few stones from his shoes, underlining that his popularity has brought various sponsors to the team, including MoneyGram.
Haas expectations for 2024
During an interview given to the Japanese of as-web.jpAyao Komatsu spoke very honestly about his team's immediate horizons: “Our goal can be eighth place. Last year we finished in last place, so we are aiming to beat two teams. But it will be difficult.”
Komatsu reviewed the rival teams: “Sauber and Williams have better budgets and structures than us, Alpha Tauri will strengthen the partnership with Red Bull. For Haas, 2024 will be a time of transition and reaching eighth place would be a great achievement.”
The Japanese engineer has no illusions: “There's less than a month to go until pre-season testing, but I think thehe car that we will bring to Bahrain will still be at the bottom of the standings. It's not the staff's fault, but the timing of the decisions made delayed development and they didn't have much time available. Rather than focusing on absolute speed, it will be important to find a direction for development and progress efficiently.”concluded Komatsu.
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