P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Twelve months ago, Ayao Komatsu was pessimistic when discussing Haas’ expectations for the 2024 season. He predicted the team would be the slowest on the grid at the start of the year, and was not …
Twelve months ago, Ayao Komatsu had low expectations for Haas in the 2024 season, predicting they would be the slowest team on the grid. He had secretly set a target of eighth in the constructors’ championship as something to strive for. Now, the team principal reflects on the drastic change in expectations with a laugh. Komatsu has been restructuring Haas’ trackside organization and bringing in new personnel, notably promoting Laura Mueller as Esteban Ocon’s race engineer, making her the first full-time female race engineer in modern Formula 1. Komatsu emphasizes that gender and nationality do not matter to him, focusing solely on work performance. With the addition of experienced chief race engineer Francesco Nenci and a revamped trackside team, Haas aims to further strengthen its setup and improve performance on the track.
