Romain Grosjean admits doubting Haas decision that is paying off ‘really well’

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Romain Grosjean spent five of his 11 years in Formula 1 with Haas and helped to their best moments but he doubted one decision that is paying off handsomely this season.

The Frenchman was an early believer in what Haas could offer in the pinnacle of motorsport after Grosjean joined from Lotus ahead of their debut season. He plus Esteban Gutierrez led the first American-owned F1 team since 1986 onto the grid, and kept the seat through 2020.

Grosjean brought podium-finishing experience to Haas after reaching 10 rostrums racing for Lotus. Haas are still yet to claim a podium finish through 187 Grand Prix entries to date. But it was with Grosjean at the 2018 Austrian Grand Prix that Haas sealed their best finish of P4.

It was also in 2018 with Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen sharing the garage that Haas sealed their best result in the constructors’ championship to date with fifth place on 93 points. The US-owned crew penned their worst finish to a season in 2021 in their first without Grosjean.

Romain Grosjean questioned if Ayao Komatsu was the right team principal for Haas

The 2021 season with Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin marked the first and so far only year in which Haas have failed to secure a single point. But they matched their 10th place in the teams’ standings last season with Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg occupying the seats.

Team owner Gene Haas decided that enough was enough after finishing the 2023 season at the bottom of F1’s standings. So, Haas let Guenther Steiner leave at the end of his contract, and Ayao Komatsu replaced the Drive to Survive icon as the team principal of Haas F1 Team.

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

But Grosjean – who worked closely with Komatsu while at Haas – was unsure if the engineer would succeed as a team principal. The Frenchman questioned if Komatsu would handle the extra responsibilities that awaited as he stepped up from a director of engineering position.

“No, you never know,” Grosjean told the official Formula 1 website. “It’s a different role, it’s a different approach [and] there’s also a bit of political games and media.

“I had no idea about that part. I knew he could set everything up [to improve Haas] but that part was the unknown, and he’s been doing really, really well.”

Ayao Komatsu has Haas on course for one of their best Formula 1 seasons so far

Komatsu’s promotion to become Haas’ team principal in January 2024 was 21 years after he first arrived in the Formula 1 paddock. BAR snapped up the Japanese engineer straight after he graduated from university, and he remained in Brackley until a switch to Renault in 2006.

Moving to Enstone initially as a tyre expert before focusing more broadly on his engineering duties meant Komatsu even crossed paths with Grosjean. He became the Frenchman’s race engineer after working with Vitaly Petrov and helped both drivers to secure podium finishes.

But Haas ended 2023 as the worst team on last season’s grid and Komatsu, who also joined from Lotus in 2016, faced a mountain to turn their fortunes around in the wake of Steiner’s departure. Yet Komatsu has impressed Grosjean with how he has righted the ship for Haas.

Ahead of the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix, Haas sit seventh in the constructors’ standings with 46 points. Haas are also only three points from Alpine after the Enstone outfit’s double podium finish at the Sao Paulo GP. They only scored more points in 2017 (47) and 2018 (93).

What has been pivotal for turning the team’s fortunes around is that Komatsu has removed the ‘fear’ of making a mistake that Steiner spread at Haas. Instead, he encourages the team to take risks in search of improvements and has enjoyed the rewards with improved results.