Haas is on the rise. The team has already scored more than twice the points from 2023, and with signing Oliver Bearman for next year the team also looks to invest in the future. Teamboss Ayao Komatsu looks to break with the philosophy of predecessor Günther Steiner who focused more on experience.
The question remains who will occupy the second seat in 2025. Esteban Ocon is rumoured to be the favourite, but current driver Kevin Magnussen is also still an option. The Dane values his Japanese boss for his honesty and transparancy during the search for a second driver.
“I don’t know how he’s handling [the search for a second driver]. I’m not part of his everyday handling of the driver’s situation. But of course I talk to him about my own potential future with the team.
“What I value the most is that he is very open and very honest. I feel like I can trust him.
“He’s not hiding the fact that he’s talking to other drivers as well. He’s being open about that.”
Apparently an open and honest teamboss is something new for the former McLaren and Renault driver, as he emphasises his appreciation for Komatsu.
“I appreciate that a lot more than […] Because I’ve had team bosses in the past who weren’t honest, who were telling me BS, and I don’t appreciate that.
“I think it’s part of the game. I’m not surprised he’s talking to other drivers. He wouldn’t be doing his job if he wasn’t.
“I appreciate the openness. We’ll see what happens.”
In response to Magnussen’s comments, Komatsu says his openness is important to him as a human being.
“[Being open] is very important and also that’s what I believe we should be doing as a human being,” he explains. “Kevin’s been an amazing team player. And then Kevin came back to us when we needed him. Of course he wanted to come back in F1, so that was in his interest as well. But again, when we needed him, he came back and he just made a clear step in the team for us as well.
“And then when Nico came, of course Nico gave us another dimension, but they’ve both been contributing to the team.”
Komatsu also feels his role as a team principal requires him to be transparent to his drivers, whether they will stay for 2025 or are in negotiation with other teams in case they don’t continue together.
“So the least I need to be doing is to be honest with him, transparent with him, because he’s got other offers as well. So he needs to be making his decisions with the best information and that’s the least I should be doing.
“So I’m only doing what I think is right as a human being, as well as being a team principal.”
This trust and openness also plays a role in the performance of the team as a whole, Komatsu explains.
“I think that’s important because, again, trust is a very, very important factor. Not just with Kevin and Nico, but with the whole team.
“Those two drivers, they are the key elements in how the team performs, so trust is very, very important,” Komatsu adds.
“Again, even with Nico, leading up to the point where he signed with Audi, they have been transparent, Nico’s been very transparent, I’m the same.
“So I think in order to create an environment where those drivers can perform, that trusty environment is essential, I think.”
