Ayao Komatsu explains what Haas are ‘up for’ after F1 rejected Andretti entry

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New Haas boss Ayao Komatsu has addressed the possibility of Gene Haas selling the team to Andretti after F1 rejected a Cadillac-backed bid for an entry in 2025 or 2026.

Michael Andretti has sought for years to bring his family’s storied name back to the pinnacle of motorsport. Mario Andretti won the Formula 1 drivers’ title with Lotus in 1978 and drove for teams including Ferrari and Williams. The Italian-American even won 12 of his 131 races.

The Andretti brand, today, is now a major player in the IndyCar Series and IMSA. But F1 feels it would give the Andretti brand value rather than the other way around. The series’ owners, Liberty Media, further believes that any 11th team would fail to ‘add value’ in 2025 or 2026.

Ayao Komatsu stresses Haas’ stance after F1 rejected Andretti’s entry

F1 has left a door open for Andretti to re-apply for an entry in 2028 when General Motors is planning to join as a power unit supplier. General Motors had also backed Andretti’s bid for an F1 entry in 2025 or 2026 with its Cadillac brand. But Liberty Media questions the appeal.

An alternative option for Andretti Cadillac would be to buy one of the 10 existing F1 teams, with Haas often touted as a prime candidate. But Michael Andretti, son of Mario, explained last July that after approaching ‘every single team’ that they were ‘not interested’ in talking.

F1 rejecting Andretti’s bid to join the travelling circus in 2025 or 2026 now only puts greater pressure on Haas to deliver. The American team finished last with just 12 points in the 2023 constructors’ championship. They have only finished higher than P8 once with fifth in 2018.

In an attempt to address last season’s plight, team owner Gene Haas opted against awarding Guenther Steiner a new contract and named Komatsu as Haas’ new team principal. Komatsu has also now stressed Haas’ commitment to F1 and their wish to make American fans proud.

“Gene started this in 2016 as the only American Formula 1 team,” Komatsu has declared, via quotes by Forbes. “When we went to Austin for the first time, we felt that. We understand the responsibility and we’re up for representing this great country.”

What has Gene Haas said about selling the team to Michael Andretti?

Gene Haas also stressed in January that he has no appetite for selling his Formula 1 team to Michael Andretti. So, the founder of Haas Automation let Steiner leave following the end of his contract in December. Haas is committed to turning his team into a competitive F1 entry.

“I didn’t get into F1 to sell, I did it because I wanted to race,” Haas told the official Formula 1 website. “Guenther had the same perspective. We’re not here to cash out – we want to race and be competitive.

“If you look at any team historically, they have had a lot of good years and a lot of bad years. Surviving is one of the characteristics of getting better. As long as you can survive, you always have another year to prove your worthiness.

“This is a big change. Losing Guenther is going to cause the team to have to focus on other aspects. We will, hopefully, come out better for it.”