P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Haas’s new leadership made very clear in the launch of their 2024 Formula 1 car that things might get worse before they get better for last year’s bottom team
Haas is hoping that their new car, the VF-24, will mark the beginning of a more successful era under new leadership. However, there are warning signs for the team, as the start of the season may be challenging. Team boss Ayao Komatsu has been honest about their prospects and predicts a difficult start. Despite switching to a similar car concept as Red Bull, a sudden leap in performance should not be expected. Instead, Komatsu believes Haas will be towards the back of the grid, if not last, in the upcoming Bahrain race. The decision to focus on the late-2023 Austin upgrade package has delayed the development of the VF-24, putting Haas further behind where they could have been. The team’s focus now is to gather as much data as possible from testing and the first race to determine the direction for car development.
