Haas owner Gene Haas assesses team's subpar performance and leadership changes
Gene Haas conveyed embarrassment about his F1 team's lack of competitiveness despite Ferrari ties and explained leadership changes after 8 winless seasons, wanting a "different direction" under Komatsu's technical strategy to rectify long-term mediocrity.
In an interview with the official Formula 1 website, Haas F1 team principal and founder Gene Haas expressed disappointment over his team's lack of competitiveness despite its close technical partnership with Ferrari.
He also explained his rationale behind leadership changes after yet another disappointing season.
Season Analysis
"I have no interest in being 10th anymore," Haas told the Formula 1 website after the team finished 10th in the 2022 constructors' championship.
Over 8 seasons and over 160 races, the Haas F1 team has failed to reach the podium even once.
Haas admitted that "the last couple of years, we’ve been 10th or ninth," showing no signs of progress.
Technical Partnership Scrutiny
Haas elaborated on the team's close Ferrari ties for power units and parts, saying "They have been with us since day one, they build incredible engines.
Their suspension is extremely good. We have been using a lot of their hardware." Yet, Haas told the Formula 1 website "I'm embarrassed that we haven’t been able to do better with it."
He believes "our biggest failing is aero; our aero programme needs work" above anything else.
Leadership Change Rationale
"It came down to performance," Haas explained to the Formula 1 website regarding not renewing Guenther Steiner's team principal contract after 8 winless seasons and promoting Ayao Komatsu instead for a "different direction".
Haas felt Steiner had "more of a human-type approach" which failed to translate into competitiveness.
Meanwhile, he believes Komatsu's statistical and engineering background can help identify and fix the team's weaknesses.
External hiring considerations
Haas said that despite the availability of former team principals like Mattia Binotto and Otmar Szafnauer on the sidelines currently, he preferred internal promotion over "bringing in a stranger" needing months to adjust.
Drawing from his 40-year experience leading Haas Automation, external candidates brought more "mess" even if perfectly capable on paper.
Haas faces intense pressure to validate their Ferrari ties and new leadership with concrete on-track results next season.
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