Ayao Komatsu admits what’s ‘not pleasant’ at Haas thanks to £554m rival F1 team

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Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu has admitted a rival Formula 1 team is causing an unpleasant feeling at the American outfit as his first season in charge nears its finish.

Owner Gene Haas promoted Komatsu to the role of team principal from his position as their director of engineering this January when Guenther Steiner left Haas. It came on the back of the team’s second-worst season so far after ending 2023 bottom of the constructors’ table.

Just 12 points from 22 Grand Prix and six F1 Sprint events left them rooted to last place after Haas failed to design successful upgrades for a car which ate through its tyres. But Komatsu has overseen a stronger season with Haas currently sitting in seventh with 31 points thus far.

Ayao Komatsu admits Williams are causing an unpleasant situation at Haas

Only in 2021 as Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin failed to score a single point had Haas endured a worst season than in 2023. But through 18 Grand Prix and three F1 Sprint events, Nico Hulkenberg, Kevin Magnussen and Oliver Bearman have got 24, seven and one points.

But Komatsu still feels uneasy as Haas are looking over their shoulder at Williams whilst also trying to catch Visa Cash App RB. The American-owned squad trail RB by three points ahead of the United States Grand Prix, while Williams and Alpine are only 15 and 18 points behind.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Haas F1 Team from team principal to Ferrari relationship

Komatsu finds the threat of Williams overtaking Haas in the constructors’ table particularly distressing. The Grove crew have scored 12 points since the summer break compared to the four Haas have earned. RB, meanwhile, have not scored a point across the last three rounds.

“You only have to look at the race in Baku where Williams scored 10 points,” Komatsu said, via quotes by Speedweek. “And we were able to score 12 points in Austria. That means that any of us can do that.

“So, if Williams are only 13 points behind us, that’s not a pleasant situation, and they are fast. In Singapore, we were able to reduce the gap to the Racing Bulls to three points in the world championship and extend the lead over Williams to 15 points.”

Franco Colapinto has revitalised Williams to strike fear into Haas

Williams replacing Logan Sargeant with Franco Colapinto for the rest of the season from the Italian Grand Prix has proven to be hugely beneficial for the Grove squad’s position in the F1 constructors’ championship. Dropping the American driver may now see them surpass Haas.

Sargeant only ever scored one fortuitous point in his Formula 1 career, with P10 in the 2023 United States GP after Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were disqualified. Colapinto took four points in the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix with a top-10 in his second race with Williams.

Colapinto’s score in Baku matches what Haas have got in the three rounds since the summer break. Magnussen finished the Italian Grand Prix in P10 for a point, Bearman got P10 on his Haas debut at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and Hulkenberg got P9 in the Singapore Grand Prix.

So, as Alex Albon even scored six points in Baku after two in the Italian GP for Williams, who Forbes had as Formula 1’s least valuable team in 2023 at £554m, Haas have to watch out for the outfit. Forbes ranked Haas as the ninth-most valuable Formula 1 team in 2023 at £596m.