Ayao Komatsu Archives

Current team principal Ayao Komatsu has reflected on the issues that plagued the Haas F1 team under the previous leadership of Guenther Steiner

“I was ready to quit” — Komatsu on the many problems that plagued Haas before he replaced Steiner as F1 team principal

Senjuti Jash9 hours ago8 hours ago08 mins

Ayao Komatsu has opened up about the problematic team culture at Haas before he took over as team principal, the steps he took immediately after assuming the new position in 2024, the massive communication gap that existed between their multiple bases under Guenther Steiner, and what ultimately prevented him from quitting during the disappointing 2023…

Komatsu opens up on Haas’ plans during F1’s one-month break

Antonina Jaromin2 days ago2 days ago04 mins

As ongoing tensions in the Middle East have forced the cancellation of the 2026 F1 Bahrain and Jeddah GPs, Haas Team Principal Ayao Komatsu described the break as both helpful and disruptive. Haas F1 Team currently sits 4th in the Teams’ Standings after a mixed start to the new season. Ollie Bearman leads the team’s…

Ayao Komatsu, Haas Team Principal, discusses Ollie Bearman's crash at the F1 2026 Japanese GP

Komatsu says the sport “cannot ignore” causes of Bearman’s shunt at 2026 F1 Japanese GP

Chiara Perin2 weeks ago2 weeks ago03 mins

Ayao Komatsu, Haas team principal, spoke about Ollie Bearman’s scary crash at the F1 2026 Japanese GP and how the young driver beat himself up for it. Last Sunday, one of the most talked about aspects after the Japanese GP was Bearman’s and Colapinto’s near miss. Even though the Brit suffered a 50G crash with…

Komatsu analyses extreme closing speeds after Bearman’s 50G crash at the 2026 F1 Japanese GP

Antonina Jaromin2 weeks ago2 weeks ago04 mins

Following Ollie Bearman‘s massive crash at the 2026 F1 Japanese GP, Haas’s Team Principal Ayao Komatsu reflected on the incident as a racing misjudgment shaped by extreme closing speeds. The incident took place on Lap 22 when Franco Colapinto’s Alpine suddenly lost power, creating a significant speed differential as Bearman approached from behind. This forced…

Several F1 teams, including Racing Bulls, Haas, and Mercedes, have unveiled special liveries for the 2026 Japanese GP

All the special liveries for the 2026 F1 season

Senjuti Jash3 weeks ago3 weeks ago07 mins

While several special liveries were spotted on the track throughout the Barcelona shakedown week and pre-season testing in Bahrain, eleven F1 teams in 2026 will now introduce one-off designs during the 22-race season as well. F1 cars are built to leave an impression not only in the literal but also in the figurative sense. It’s…

Ayao Komatsu, Haas F1 team principal, speaks to Ferrari's Frédéric Vasseur ahead of the 2026 Chinese GP.

Why Haas team principal Komatsu is heavily against “knee-jerk” changes to F1 race start procedure

Nicolas Lopes3 weeks ago3 weeks ago07 mins

Haas F1 team principal Ayao Komatsu has explained why he’s heavily against what he called “knee-jerk” reactions and further changes to F1’s race start procedures in 2026. With the removal of the MGU-H, teams lost a key component that helped the cars to get away pretty seamlessly most of the time by the end of…

Esteban Ocon driving Haas F1 VF-26 on track during practice session in the 2026 Australian GP.

Haas has its priority set for the 2026 F1 Australian GP

Aslıhan Alp1 month ago1 month ago05 mins

Having completing the first practice day of the 2026 F1 calendar on Friday at the Australian GP, Esteban Ocon is surprised that there is still a long way to go in learning his new Haas VF-26 challenger. Too much new information is normal at the 2026 F1 Australian GP for Haas driver Esteban Ocon Esteban…

Ayao Komatsu, Ollie Bearman, and Esteban Ocon have reflected on Haas’s performance during F1 pre-season testing and what their expectations are for the 2026 Australian GP

Haas F1 on their preparation and the challenges they expect at the 2026 Australian GP

Senjuti Jash1 month ago1 month ago08 mins

As F1 undergoes the biggest overhaul of regulations in its history, Ayao Komatsu, Ollie Bearman, and Esteban Ocon have reflected on Haas’s performance during several rounds of pre-season testing in 2026 and what their expectations are for the Australian GP this weekend. Following the private shakedown in Barcelona that reportedly saw them clock up 391…

Haas's Team Principal Komatsu during round 2 of F1 pre-season testing in Bahrain ahead 2026 campaign.

Komatsu satisfied with Haas progress ahead of 2026 F1 season

Milla Fuchs2 months ago2 months ago05 mins

Haas completed a successful week at Bahrain round 2 of F1 pre-season testing in 2026. They had been running the cars over–what might seem like an error but isn’t–404 laps. Breaking it down, Haas improved from 107 laps to 127 to 170 in three days. Speaking to F1 TV, Ayao Komatsu, shared his thoughts his…

LUSAIL CITY, QATAR - NOVEMBER 29: Esteban Ocon of France and Haas F1 looks on in the garage prior to the Sprint ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Qatar at Lusail International Circuit on November 29, 2025 in Lusail City, Qatar. (Photo by Lars Baron/LAT Images)

Ocon “not really surprised” by Komatsu’s verdict of his 2025 F1 season

Rohit Bhaskar2 months ago2 months ago03 mins

A week after Ayao Komatsu’s review of his 2025 F1 season, Esteban Ocon responded to the team principal’s statements, admitting he was not surprised by it. Ahead of the 2026 F1 Bahrain tests, Haas F1 team principal Ayao Komatsu admitted that the team “expected more” from Ocon in 2025. Ocon joined Haas from Alpine in…