Haas F1 leader Ayao Komatsu is grappling with the unsettling realization that the disappointing performance from the team at the Australian Grand Prix may be indicative of a persistent issue. The recent race was a testing time for the American team, marked by a shocking crash by newcomer Oliver Bearman during the inaugural practice round of 2025 in his VF-25.
The dismal performance was reflected in the rankings, with Haas finishing 19th and 20th in the FP1 and FP2 and carrying those positions into the Grand Prix. Despite commencing from the pit lane and navigating the tumultuous wet conditions, Bearman could only manage to bring his car home in 14th place, trailing behind the rest of the field. His teammate, Esteban Ocon, marginally outperformed him, starting the race from 19th place.
The team’s struggles were unexpected, especially considering their emphasis on long-run pace and tyre management during the Bahrain pre-season trials. The comparison of Haas’ performance to the rest of the grid remained a mystery until the Australian Grand Prix.
Komatsu, in an interview with Motorsport.com, expressed his bewilderment at the team’s subpar performance. He said, “It was a significant shock, completely at odds with our expectations based on Bahrain testing. Even though the Bahrain testing wasn’t flawless, the Melbourne outcome was far worse than we ever anticipated.”
Komatsu further elaborated on the issues the team faced, highlighting that it was evident the problem lay in the high-speed corners, specifically Turns 9 and 10. Despite their relentless efforts to improve performance in these areas, the issues persisted. They managed to bring Turn 9’s performance to a respectable level but Turn 10 remained an unresolved challenge.
Komatsu confirmed that rather than shifting focus to 2026 in light of new regulations, Haas would continue to seek solutions throughout the year. He attributed the car’s problems to its interaction with the ground at low ride heights. The severity of the problems, however, suggests that the team will face challenges at several races.
Going forward, the primary task for Haas is to pinpoint which parts of the car need modification to solve the performance issue. Komatsu asserted that they have a clear understanding of the issue at hand. The next step is finding a solution, which will likely be a mix of short-term fixes and long-term modifications requiring extensive CFD and wind tunnel testing.
Komatsu’s grim prediction suggests that it’s unlikely we’ll see a quick fix for Haas’ problems. The severity of the performance issues indicates that it may be some time before the team can bounce back from their disappointing start in the 2025 season.