Changing its organization: a winning bet for Haas
While Haas' management were pessimistic at the start of the season, the American team has had a more than convincing year. This new momentum can be attributed to the team's bold approach following the departure of team manager Günther Steiner.
This is one of the pleasant surprises of this season. The Haas team, which had a difficult season in 2023 with only 12 points scored and very few developments on the car, approached the year 2024 with some apprehension. Team boss Ayao Komatsu explained during the unveiling of the VF-24, “We are realistic about our expectations for the start of the VF-24. There is a lot of work ahead of us to progress and improve our performance.” Yet, the results this year are satisfying and the harmony within the team is excellent. This almost idyllic situation can be explained by bold choices that have finally paid off.
The new vision of the Haas team
During the offseason, Gene Haas, the team owner, surprised everyone by not renewing the contract of Günther Steiner, team principal at Haas since its inception in 2016. This decision was motivated by the lack of performance of the car and disagreements about the resources needed to improve the team. Gene Haas did not want to invest all his money in an uncertain project.
As a result, the team has appointed Ayao Komatsu, former engineer of Romain Grosjean, as the new director. This decision reflects Haas’ new directions for 2024. The team is looking to focus more on engineering to understand and improve the car’s performance, following McLaren’s example of choosing engineer Andrea Stella as a leader. These choices are proving successful today.
A change in culture and method.
Upon his arrival, Ayao Komatsu brought a new dimension to the team. Especially on the engineers’ side who can now take on more responsibilities and steer the development of the car. All this thanks to an increased trust from the team principal. This agreement between the engineers and the management manifested on track with a team that, for the first time in its history, moved up in the hierarchy. Haas, once known for not developing its car throughout the season, now finds itself competitive all year round.
In 2024, the results are much higher than those of the previous year. The team having already scored 27 points this season, including 22 for the German Nico Hülkenberg. The former Renault driver has even explained to the media the changes made before the new year leading to Haas’ current success.
(I) I think we are simply a healthy and effective organization. Obviously, there were some changes at the end of last year. But what was done, some people left the team, and especially in the technical department, there was a restructuring. Obviously, the team manager changed at the beginning of the season », he said.
We have simplified everything, and left the people we have – and we have good people – to take responsibilities, let them work and deliver. I think this formula has worked well so far this year and the performances and consistency prove it.
Nico Hülkenberg, who will leave the team at the end of the season to join Stake F1, hopes to continue on this positive momentum until the end of the season in order to surpass Racing Bulls and possibly even Aston Martin in the constructors’ championship. A fifth-place finish would be a victory for a team that has experienced many difficult moments but seems to be heading in the right direction to become a team to be reckoned with.
