Team principal of Haas Ayao Komatsu spoke in a print media session at the F1 British GP about the upgrades coming to the VF-25 and why the car appears to be performing so differently than the VF-24.
Haas has had a difficult start to the season, currently sitting 9th in the championship.
Haas has scored in 8 out of the 12 races so far. It is clear that they are struggling to keep up with the midfield in qualifying, however.
At the British Grand Prix, Haas introduced a new upgrade package to the VF-25. Team Principal Ayao Komatsu expressed optimism that these changes would boost the car’s high-speed performance and overall balance
New upgrade package
The team is bringing the first upgrade package to the VF-25 at the British GP that is set to improve the car’s overall performance.
At the start of the year, Haas faced problems with their floor. Issues with the aero-oscillation meant difficulties through the high-speed corners; Melbourne was a shocking weekend for them. This led to them struggling at the back of the pack during the season opener.
Upgrades were fast-tracked for the Japanese GP, which helped to rectify the initial issue. However, this did mean that pre-planned upgrades had to be put on hold.
Ayao Komatsu explained that whilst there was an initial delay, they are now back on track. The upgrades for the British GP are the first of the planned improvements for the VF-25. These are looking to improve the car’s overall performance.
“Obviously, the issue we discovered in Melbourne, that certainly affected our first package. So that first package wasn’t as much focused on, let’s say, outright performance.
“So this is the first package that we could do, let’s say, normal development.
“If it delivers what it’s supposed to deliver, I think considering how tight the midfield is, it should make a difference.”
When asked if the new update is going to improve peak downforce, Ayao Komatsu revealed that: “It’s never peak downforce.
“I’d be very surprised if any of the teams up and down the pit lane are just going for peak downforce. It’s not going to work. You know, it’s got to be drivable, it’s got to be useable downforce.”
Differences between the VF-24 and VF-25
The changes between the VF-24 and VF-25 are clear in the team’s performances. In 2024, Haas performed well in qualifying and generally did well in race trim as well. This year things are different. Qualifying has now become the weak point of the VF-25.
These changes have been due to a search for increased overall downforce, Ayao Komatsu explained. He added that when the team discovered the problems this had caused regarding their top speed, it was “too late” to make any changes.
“We knew we had to add overall downforce, so we were focused on that. So we’ve done a decent job on that side, but at the same time, we didn’t do a very good job in terms of efficiency.
“We knew we had to find more medium-to-high-speed downforce. As a result of it, that’s not been, let’s say, perfect. We couldn’t quite get the efficiency, but by the time we realised what we could have done better, it was a bit too late to implement it, so that’s what we have to carry.”
