Haas is undergoing a significant internal restructuring ahead of the 2025 Formula 1 season, marking a pivotal step in its quest to sharpen trackside operations and elevate its competitive standing. With key staff promotions, strategic hires, and an enhanced partnership with Toyota, the American team is taking bold steps to address its weaknesses and build on its most productive season since 2018.
A revamped trackside team
Central to Haas’ overhaul is the restructuring of its trackside team, an area identified by team principal Ayao Komatsu as a critical weakness in 2024. The team has promoted long-serving staff members Laura Mueller and Ronan O’Hare to key roles. Mueller, a Haas veteran who began as a Simulator Engineer, will become the first female race engineer in Formula 1, supporting Esteban Ocon in his debut season with the team.
O’Hare, previously a Performance Engineer, will guide rookie Oliver Bearman, showcasing Haas’ commitment to nurturing in-house talent. Komatsu explained the decision to promote internally:
“If the external candidate isn’t clearly better, I’d rather invest internally. Laura and Ronan have the potential to be just as good or even better in a year’s time.”
New roles and departures
The team also welcomes Carine Cridelich as Head of Race Strategy, starting March 1 after her tenure with Racing Bulls, and Mark Lowe, who steps into the newly created role of Sporting Director. Meanwhile, Francesco Nenci takes over as Chief Race Engineer, replacing Komatsu’s former position.
These moves follow notable departures, including long-time team manager Pete Crolla, race engineers Gary Gannon and Mark Slade, and several others.
Focus on preparation and performance
Haas is doubling down on preparation with its newly introduced Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) program, thanks to its alliance with Toyota. This initiative allows the team to conduct in-season testing with past cars, a critical advantage in refining trackside operations.
Last weekend at Jerez, drivers Oliver Bearman, Esteban Ocon, and Toyota-backed Ritomo Miyata logged valuable laps in the VF-23. Komatsu emphasized the importance of these sessions:
“These private tests are so important. We’ve been ‘just a race team’ since 2014, but now we have capabilities to simulate scenarios and be better prepared before the season starts.”
Learning from missed opportunities
Despite a productive 2024 season, Haas narrowly missed out on sixth place in the Constructors’ Championship, finishing seven points behind Alpine. Komatsu attributed the gap to operational missteps rather than car performance:
“We left too many points on the table from the trackside operations. Under pressure, we didn’t function as well as we should have.”
The team’s renewed focus on training, preparation, and simulation aims to rectify these issues in 2025.
Technical stability amid change
While the trackside team undergoes significant restructuring, the technical department remains stable under Andrea De Zordo, who continues to lead work on the VF-25 and prepare for the upcoming 2026 regulations. Komatsu praised the consistency of the factory-based technical team, which he sees as a foundation for further progress.
Outlook for 2025 and beyond
With an ambitious restructuring plan and renewed focus on preparation, Haas is positioning itself for a stronger 2025 campaign. The combination of fresh leadership, experienced personnel, and improved testing capabilities could propel the team closer to the midfield pack.
Komatsu summed up the team’s vision:
“We will be better prepared. This is about setting the stage for Haas to not just compete but thrive in the years to come.”
