Though one of only a handful of teams to have both drivers finish Sunday’s race, the 2025 Australian GP weekend was, ultimately a disappointing one for the MoneyGram Haas F1 Team, with drivers Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman finishing at the back of the pack in P13 and P14 respectively. While speaking with the media ahead of the 2025 Chinese GP in Shanghai, Haas’ Team Principal Ayao Komatsu discussed his team’s performance in Australia and their expectations moving forward.
Australian GP performance “a big surprise” — Komatsu
Though he admitted to have been surprised by the team’s lack of performance in Melbourne, Komatsu does not think that their performance was “a one-off”.
“I don’t think it’s a one-off. It was a big surprise. You know, we weren’t expecting that whatsoever based on Bahrain testing. Yes, Bahrain testing, car wasn’t perfect. But we weren’t expecting [anywhere] near as bad as Melbourne.”
He explained that he had initially thought that something was broken or “completely out of [the] ballpark” during F1, but had soon established that there was a bigger issue at hand that, unfortunately for the Kannapolis-based team, could not be quickly rectified over the weekend.
“But honestly, like FP1, very fast lap when the car went out. I thought either something was broken or something’s completely out of [the] ballpark.”
“Then when we established, right, nothing’s broken, like, right, we got big issue. Right, then, then it’s from that point, of course, you know, we’re not going to have any new parts for FP2 or FP3, right?”
High-speed corners the main issue for Haas
Komatsu added that having realised the problem on their hands, the team had immediately begun working on improving. He explained that they had identified their performance in high-speed corners as their main issue and had prioritised improving in those, especially Turns 9 and 10.
This was a somewhat fruitful venture for the team, which managed to get their performance in Turn 9 “more or less respectable.” Unfortunately, they did not have such luck with Turn 10.
“[It became a] matter of, “Okay, how can we make this better?””
“It was pretty clear the problem was in high-speed [corners]. Turn 9, Turn 10. Then we just worked, worked, worked to make those corners better with the expense of low speed. But even that, you know, low-speed corners are, okay, not great, but compared to the issue we had in 9, 10, it’s night and day.”
“So then by Q1, we managed to get Turn 9 more or less respectable. It’s actually fine. But Turn 10, still nowhere. We understand why. But with the issues we have, we cannot solve it for all corners.”
Haas did “the best [they] could do” despite difficult circumstances
Despite their poor end to the weekend, Komatsu believed that Haas did the best that they could do to improve throughout the weekend, especially given the tricky characteristics of the Melbourne circuit, most notably, Turn 10.
“So I think at least we took [the] correct steps during the weekend, FP1 to FP2 to FP3 to Qualifying. But seriously, I think that’s the best we could do with the Melbourne circuit characteristics, our car’s weakness that we discovered in Melbourne, and then [the] characteristics of Turn 10 as a corner. Seriously, that was, I think, the best.”
Having identified the most difficult parts of the track for their VF-25, Haas then focused, as explained by Komatsu” on understanding what modifications were needed to solve their performance issue.
“So then at least we have [a clear understanding on] what the issue is. Then next point is to understand which part of the car we need to modify to which part of the car has the sensitivity to solve this performance issue.”
This, he believes was done, as he added that. “So up to this point, we are reasonably clear.”
A long road ahead for Haas, with solutions not expected for some races
Komatsu further explained that, after identifying and exploring the issues plaguing their car, and subsequently, affecting their performance, the team had turned their focus to discovering solutions. With both short- and long-term solutions required, however, Komatsu does not believe that the team will be able to show any significant improvements over the next few races, noting that their problems are “pretty severe.”
“Then, of course, next is, “How are we going to find a solution?” Then some of them can be reasonably short-term solutions, but some of them will be an iterative process, both in CFD and wind tunnel. So you’re not going to see a solution for some races.”
“So, yeah, it’s pretty severe.”
VF-25 plagued by dynamic and aerodynamic issues
Komatsu further discussed the issues plaguing the VF-25, identifying issues with both the ride height and usable downforce. He explained that while the team had done work in the simulator over the winter break, they had not detected these issues until seeing the car on track in Melbourne. Turn 10 of the Albert Park Circuit, Komatsu said, had completely exposed the flaws of the car, most notably its dynamic and aerodynamic issues.
“We put performance on the car over the winter. Then, of course, you do simulator [work], you do simulations, but these are fine. But then when you come to, you know, Corner 10 seriously just completely exposed it.”
“You know, Corner 10’s got that deep compression in the middle of the corner as well. But again, Turn 9 to Turn 10 transition is just nowhere. But that’s a dynamic issue.”
“Then it’s aerodynamic issue. So at least we understood that much. But it’s both combination of aerodynamic oscillation and then our rear downforce characteristics.”
The Haas Team Principal added that it was the combination of these issues that had rendered the car very difficult to driver, as had there only been problems of one type, the driver would have been able to adapt around it.
“[It’s a] combination of that. If you only had one of them, you can live with [it]. But when you superimpose those problems on top of each other, basically it just becomes very, very difficult to drive.”
Combination of issues limits what drivers can extract from VF-25
The combination of dynamic and aerodynamic issues, Komatsu stated, has limited the performance that his drivers can extract from the VF-25, though the car is capable of greater speeds. He highlighted this as an issue to be addressed by the team over the upcoming rounds, though he notes that it will not have an “easy solution.”
“So in essence, through Turn 10, the downforce, let’s say driver can extract, it’s probably same as what we had in Melbourne 2024. Seriously. Even though potentially the performance we have on the car, not potentially in the wind tunnel, the performance we have on the car at that speed is so much higher. You can’t extract it because it’s just not usable.”
“So again, that’s what we need to address. And I guess you can back out of it by either lifting the car up, which sacrifices performance, or adding more wing, which sacrifices performance. So it’s not an easy solution to cure it in the short term. That’s why, like I said, we made a compromise. We just focused on improving high speed because that was the biggest problem.”
Haas sacrificed performance to improve speed in Melbourne — Komatsu
The Haas Team Principal explained that by sacrificing performance to improve their speed, the team had managed to make Turn 9 “manageable”. However, they had not been able to replicate this at other difficult Turns, due to the “fundamental limitation” of the VF-25.
“Then we managed to make Turn 9 manageable.”
“But anyway, but then we can see on the data how the car is working at Turn 9 now. But then to have that, let’s say, car working at all different corners, 9, 10, 6, 5, 12, 11, 13, it’s impossible, right? Because of the fundamental limitation we have.”
Everyone at Haas accepts that “we have a serious issue” — Komatsu
Despite the disappointing start to the 2025 season, Komatsu opts for a more positive mindset, believing that early acknowledgement of the issue allowed the team to begin addressing it immediately.
“So yeah, I think Melbourne, especially that corner, is the worst. But you have to almost change your mindset. At least we found that out in Race 1. Imagine we’ve been mediocre for 5, 6, 7 races. Then go to Melbourne and say, “Oh shit, we’ve got a serious fundamental issue.” Then it’s quite deep into the season.”
“At least we were all shocked on Friday. Then to some people, it took a day to at least accept we have a serious issue. But now we know everybody now is completely flat-out trying to solve the issue. Nobody’s questioning if we have an issue or not.”
“We have one, right? The only way is how to go from here. How can we find a solution?”
With the season already well on its way, Komatsu added that the team would also need to determine how long it would take them to find a solution, and ultimately, to investigate its effects on their overall performance in 2025.
“How quickly can we find it? How are we going to face that end?”
FP1 in Shanghai to be a test session for Haas
With Haas running the same configuration that they used in Melbourne during the 2025 Chinese GP weekend, Komatsu plans to use FP1 as a test session to generate as much data as possible.
“Shanghai here, of course, we’ve got the same parts as Melbourne, right. But again, we learned an awful lot in terms of how to run the car, [and] how to get the best out of it with the current configuration. And then certain things we learned from the race, we’ll be applying all that in FP1.”
“And the FP1 will be just a test session. Using two cars to generate as much data as possible and get as much driver feedback as possible.”
Collecting data from Bearman “the target” for the Chinese GP weekend
Particular emphasis, Komatsu stated, would be placed on collecting data from first-year driver, Oliver “Ollie” Bearman, who struggled to complete any of the non-race sessions. The Haas Team Principal explained that they had not received feedback from Bearman as his crashes had prevented the collection of any data.
“Again, another big issue was Ollie in Melbourne. Because of his crashes, we got no feedback from Oli. Race is wet, so you have to take it with a pinch of salt.”
“So the limit of this car, so far, only feedback is Esteban. We really desperately need Oli’s feedback as well. So that’s the target this weekend.”
He revealed that the team had devised a test programme for their drivers and would aim to complete it, especially with Bearman. This, Komatsu emphasised, would be crucial to improve the VF-25.
“I said to Ollie, you need to do every single lap plan from the run programme. That’s the target.”
“And then we devised a test programme, considering both cars, considering how many runs we got each car, just so that we can provide the best possible data set back to the factory and provide feedback from both drivers. That’s the only way we can move forward.”
Bearman “too good” to repeat Melbourne mistakes
Komatsu was also asked about how he had approached Bearman’s difficult weekend with the driver. While he explained that Bearman’s performance had been disappointing, as he had made clear to the driver, he believes that he will not see similar performances at other race weekends, as Bearman is “too good for that.”
“No, no, you cannot let it go. No, no, no, no, no, no. Because especially after Friday, there was a clear objective [of] what he needed to do in FP3 and Quali. And then he binned it [at the] FP3 start.”
“So again, you know, we had to clarify. And then we spoke about it on Saturday, Sunday, and then came here earlier today as well. But it was totally clear.”
“I’m sure you won’t see that happening again. Ollie is too good for that.”
Characteristics of Bahrain circuit masked flaws of VF-25
Komatsu believes that the characteristics of the Sahkir International Circuit at which Haas tested their car during the pre-season, helped hide the flaws of the VF-25, as while there are some similarities between the Bahrain and Melbourne circuits, the many differences prevented a true comparison.
“It’s the circuit characteristics of Bahrain. If you look at the high-speed corners, like Turn 6 of Bahrain, yes, it’s a high-speed corner, but it’s not a very representative corner.”
“And then looking back now, Turn 12 in Bahrain, it does show the characteristics, but the issue is that’s flat. It’s not a corner.”
“So even though Esteban is kicking himself as well, he said, “I should have alerted you guys more, but that was the corner that wasn’t costing lap time, so I didn’t say it, but now I’m experiencing what I’m experiencing in Melbourne, that the underlying characteristics were there in Turn 12.””
Komatsu claimed that due to the differences between the Bahrain and Melbourne circuits, the team had believed that the VF-25 would be competitive, despite some aerodynamic oscillation. He said that had the team known what awaited them in Melbourne, they would have taken an alternative approach to their pre-season testing.
“So we missed it, honestly. We knew there was some aerodynamic oscillation, but we worked through it, then we found a solution, which was actually competitive in Bahrain.”
“And then we still focused on the medium-high fuel runs. Had we known that we had the issue of what we had in Melbourne, for sure we’d have done more lower fuel, non-DRS laps, because that’s when the problems are most problematic. But honestly, it was a surprise to us in Melbourne.”
“A very, very difficult problem to solve” — Komatsu
The Haas Team Principal reiterated that as the VF-25 suffers from both fundamental dynamic and aerodynamic issues, it is almost impossible to completely solve all of its problems. He again highlighted how in Melbourne, the team had been able to improve at Turn 9 but not at Turn 10.
“Both [bouncing and fundamental issues]. This is what I mean. So if you had one of them, it’s fine. It’s not fine, but it’s more manageable.”
“When you’ve got both fundamental characteristics issues, then superimposed aerodynamic oscillations, basically, yeah, it’s a very, very difficult problem to solve. You can’t solve it. Not globally, anyway. So we solved it locally at Turn 9, but not at Turn 10, not at other corners.”
Haas have “got to be sensible” as they work towards improving — Komatsu
With Haas not being able to significantly adjust their car ahead of the Chinese GP, Komatsu does not expect significant improvements in Shanghai. Instead, he and his team are focusing on the upcoming race in Suzuka. However, Haas will be cautious as they work on improving their VF-25, knowing that prioritising its short-team development could compromise their performance in the long run.
“Whether it’s in front of a home crowd or not, we’ve got a serious issue, right? But then we’ve got to be sensible. If you really, really just focus on short-term too much, it might damage your chance of sorting out properly medium-term, right. So you’ve got to really balance that.”
However, the team does plan to introduce some modifications, hoping to get up to speed after missing the mark during the winter break.
“But for Suzuka, yes, we are trying to get some modification done to the car. Then what we believe is very sensitive to this problem that we probably, not probably, we definitely didn’t do a good job over the winter.”
“We just missed it. And then again, you might ask why we missed it. Because it is actually quite a difficult problem, but it’s not something that you can see in the wind tunnel.”
“So things like what you have on the CFD analysis methodology, even the wind tunnel data, tools you have, those are the areas I believe we are so far behind. So now we’ve got this issue. I mean, I understand why we couldn’t preempt it.”
Haas focusing on 2025 performance over preparations for 2026
Komatsu also stated that Haas would not sacrifice their 2025 season to prepare for the new era of F1 racing in 2026. Instead, he explained, the American team needed to tackle their current problems “head-on” as they were an “unsustainable” several tenths slower than their rivals.
“At the minute, no. Because at this point, we are trying to develop 2025 anyway. And then second, you know, we were the slowest by country margin, right? Like six tenths, ridiculous amount. That’s not sustainable to anyone. And also, like, as a team, if we don’t face this problem head-on, we’re not going to run it. So we are tackling it head-on.”
Haas not changing their priorities as they move forward
Komatsu added that neglecting the 2025 season could have harmful effects on perceptions of the team’s confidence and capability, and while he understands that some of their developments may not help their 2026 campaign, he believes that it is more important for Haas to focus on their growth and problem-solving abilities.
“Then if we do it correctly, then as and when we find a solution… Because, again, imagine you just leave it now, “Okay, forget about 2025, we move on to 2026.” There’s so much doubt in people’s confidence as well [as] capability, and we don’t learn anything in terms of this failure, right? We might understand how we missed it, but we’re not putting anything in place to make sure things like that doesn’t happen.”
“Yes, that very thing may not be applicable to 2026, but that process, teamwork, working with people together and find solutions, people’s growth, team’s growth, it’s very important we solve this issue. So at the moment, we’re not making any changes on the priority, because I think this is very important going forward as a team.”
“As a team, can we deal with this? I believe we can, but we have to prove it. And if we prove it, that gives confidence back to people. Honestly, really, really good thing is everybody’s accepting it now.”
“This is a challenge, and everybody’s got urgency and pushing like crazy to find a solution. That’s all I can ask for.”
Haas needs to be ready for common challenges
While he previously stated that the VF-25’s problems were a combination of mechanical and aerodynamic flaws, Komatsu highlighted that their immediate focus was on addressing the aerodynamic issues.
“Aerodynamic, largely aerodynamic,” he identified when asked about the VF-25’s problems, “[The floor], that’s one of the areas clearly we’re looking at.”
While Komatsu reminded the media that he had been praising Haas’ development with their car since the 2024 season, he noted that it was not unusual for teams to sometimes take a wrong turn in their development. He stressed that when such issues arose, it was most important for a team to “be ready for it.”
“I’ve been saying this inside for the last nine months. Even in the middle of the VF24 development, we’ve been putting good development on the car.”
“But at some point, we’re going to drive into this issue. Because if big teams, capable teams like Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull, everybody at some point driving into this issue, for sure, we will face the same issue again. So we have to be ready for it.”
Investigation often needed to address issues with development
However, he acknowledged that it could be difficult to adequately prepare to address issues when they are, as investigation was often required to identify the mechanisms behind any problems.
“So that’s what I was saying. But then it’s difficult in the sense that to be ready for it because you don’t know what mechanism you are missing to create this problem.”
“And now this problem happens, then when you’re really looking through the steps and the iterations between the end of the season VF24 to VF25, there is some crew where we started pushing certain things too much to create this kind of issue.”
As an example, he highlighted Scuderia Ferrari’s disappointing stint after the 2024 Monaco GP, explaining that while the Maranello-based team would not have immediately known the cause of their reduced performance, over time, their tools and understanding would have grown, allowing them to identify and address the issues.
Obviously, when [Ferrari] had that issue, they didn’t have that level of understanding, right? And through the whatever many weeks and months, I’m sure their tools and understanding exponentially grew. So that’s why they’re not making the same mistake this year.”
Haas not taking shortcuts as they work towards improving the VF-25
Having learnt from Ferrari, as well as other teams on the grid, Komatsu knows that recovering performance is not something that Haas can take shortcuts with.
“So, unfortunately, we have to go through that ourselves. It’s not something we can shortcut, you know?”
However, the Haas Team Principal highlighted the need for a careful and track-specific approach to the races, explaining that he expected some variation in the team’s performance at the Shanghai International Circuit, given the lower-speed corners and different lap-time sensitivity.
“I think Turn 1 entry and then Turn 7 would be challenging. But the thing is, again, we have to see. But other than those two corners, minimum speed of the corners [is] much lower here.”
“That’s not to say we can’t be better, but again, lap time sensitivity is different as well. Like Turn 9-10, even once we got Turn 9 correct, with Turn 10 all the way to 11, we lost four-tenths in qualifying. Four-tenths. Just one corner.”
Improving VF-25 “not an overnight job” — Komatsu
Regardless of their performance in China, however, Komatsu does not believe that the team’s struggles will come to an end. Instead, when asked how long he expected the team to suffer, he replied, “I wish I knew. Seriously, I don’t.”
He explained that developing the tools needed to improve their VF-25 was “not an overnight job” and that risks would be required as the team introduced modifications.
“I don’t know because we’ve got to develop our tools very, very quickly, which is not an overnight job. And then some of the modifications, some of them, I feel we can take some risks. It’s all about risks, right?”
He highlighted the need for an “iterative process” to be certain that any modification would yield the desired results, as as this could be time-consuming, he stated that risk management was required.
“If you really want to be 100% sure, let’s say this modification will solve the issue, then you have to go through iterative process in the wind tunnel, right? And CFD.”
“So it’s about managing the risk, I think. Whether you’re going to decide to send and make the parts that you have only 60% confidence, or you’re going to spend more time making sure like you have 90% confidence this is going to work. But that’s depending on either circuit sensitivity as well.”
Komatsu reiterated that while he was not overly optimistic about the team’s performance in Shanghai, he would consider it a learning experience, given the different circuit characteristics.
“So we’ll see what we can do here in Shanghai. I’m not holding a huge amount of hope, but again, circuit characteristics [are] different, like you said.”
Haas to introduce “slight modification” to the VF-25 in Suzuka
However, he added, “Suzuka will be another story.”
While Komatsu confirmed that Haas would be introducing slight modifications for the 2025 Japanese GP, he admitted that he was not sure how much improvement the modification would bring.
“And in Suzuka, like I said, we’re going to try to bring slight modifications to the car. How much does it improve at all? We believe so, that’s why we’re bringing it. But if it does, how much does it improve?”
The Haas Team Principal stated that if the modifications allowed for a significant improvement in the team’s performance, they would use this as the foundation for their next “solution”.
“If it improves a great amount, that puts us in more battle with other cars, maybe the next, let’s say, solution, we can take more time in the wind tunnel and CFD to make sure that will work.”
However, he also noted the possibility of the modifications making a minimal difference and stated that if that was the case, the team would refocus their efforts.
“But if what we do in Suzuka is making minimum difference, we might have to take more chances on the second one, right?”
He described the development of the VF-25 as a “moving target” and emphasised that his priority was to make sure that the team was all “on the same page” and fully aware of the situation at hand.
“So it’s all a moving target. But at least I’m just trying to put everyone on the same page so that we all understand what we’re dealing with, what our approaches are. But honestly, I am happy with people’s reaction. So that’s positive. Then we just got to do it.”
