Haas Formula 1 boss Ayao Komatsu has admitted that it still hasn’t fully got on top of the persistent tyre wear problem that hampered the team’s form throughout last season.
The squad’s endeavours to build upon a positive first season under the latest ground effect regulations was stymied last year by a car that punished the tyres too excessively.
While the VF-23 proved sporadically competitive over a single lap, Haas’ troubles in race trim resigned the team to ending bottom of the Constructors’ Championship.
Despite introducing a radically revamped car in Austin which converted the team to the downwash sidepod solution, the side’s struggles continued in the closing rounds.
Heading into the 2024 season, Komatsu believes the American outfit has grasped an element of the issue, but he was cautious about confirming it had addressed it entirely.
“I don’t think we understand everything,” Komatsu told Autosport. “I think we understand a significant part of it, but the only proof is if you can produce a car that can deal with the problem.
“I don’t like to sit here and say that we understand it 100%, We don’t. But we have a decent idea of why and where we need to focus on.”
Haas encountered similar difficulties with the Pirelli tyres back in 2019, prompting Kevin Magnussen – who was in the team both years – to claim he rang the “alarm bells”.
Komatsu, who has replaced Guenther Steiner at the helm, ponders whether fractured lines of communication between its two bases have contributed to the recurrent concern.
“From ’19 to ’23, the programme is very different,” he determined. “It may look the same, but it is very different. But the working practice is the core.
“If we are not working in a very integrated manner, communicating properly between the aero department in Italy to the tyre department in the UK, that is a problem.
“That working culture and practice is something I am going to focus on improving. We want to move as one. We’ve got a real car issue, accept it, then communicate and discuss it openly with all the relevant people. And even then, if around the table there is still a disagreement from certain people, you cannot avoid that.”
Komatsu has reiterated that one pivotal factor behind Haas reversing its fortunes is ensuring both camps remain in frequent discussions and aligned on the same path.
“I do think that disagreement is healthy, as long as everybody then knows that a decision needs to be taken,” he added.
“So somebody needs to take a decision and we’re going to go in this direction. That’s fine.
“But when one group says ‘I think this is a problem’ and this guy says, ‘OK fine’, and then doesn’t communicate together afterwards and keeps going in his direction, then we cannot improve. I think working practices need to improve.”
