After finishing last in the 2021 constructors? standings with zero points, Haas at least managed to get off the mark in the first season of the current Formula 1 rules cycle in 2022. However, after taking one step forward, its results under the ground effect era went a further two steps back last year as it returned to the foot of the table.
The American-owned team’s backward momentum was followed by team boss, Gene Haas, overseeing a major staffing overhaul, headlined by the departure of Guenther Steiner from his long-held post as team principal and promoting technical director, Ayao Komatsu, in his place. Considering he is the face of a new era, Komatsu came out surprisingly pessimistic about the Haas VF-24?s potential ahead of the new season, stating that he expected the car to start ‘towards the back of the grid, if not last.’ The bar could not have been set lower, but the team wants to raise it as the season progresses, not least Komatsu who has a chance to prove himself as team leader. The organisational shuffle included the promotion of former chief designer, Andrea De Zordo, to technical director, and some other movements within the staff hierarchy.
Despite Komatsu’s downbeat outlook (based on his claim that Haas lost two months of VF-24 development time as it worked on a late-season 2023 upgrade) the latest car has not been a disaster. That?s probably enough to be considered a success considering how badly the previous campaign went. At roun...