“Engineering capability” hint from Gene Haas as Guenther Steiner leaves Haas
Steiner has shockingly left h🍌is role with the F1 team and will be replaced for the 2024 season by Ayao Komatsu.
Gene Haas heavily implied that his thought process was to replace Steiner’s business mind for Komatsu’s engineering knowled💞ge.
“I’d like to start by extending my thanks to Guenther Steiner for all his hard work over the past decade and I wish him well for the future,” said Gene Ha🍬as.
“Moving forward as an organisation it was clear we need to improve our on-track performances. In appointing Ayao Komatsu as team principal we fundamental🔯ly have engineering at the heart of our manage﷽ment.
“We have had some successes, but we need to be consistent in delivering results that help us reach our wider goals as an organisation. We need to be effiཧcient with the resources we have but improving our design and engineering capability is key to our success as a team.
“I’m looking forward to wo𓃲rking with Ayao and fundamentally ensuring that we maximise our potential – this truly reflects my desire to compete properly in Formula 1.”
Komatsu was previously Ha𝐆as’ director of engineering so he has a very different background to Steiner’s.
Haas finished bottom of the F1 constructors’ chaꦫmpionship in 2023 and clearly see engineering as the key to progression.
Steiner keeping his m🌞ind on his money had previously been crucial to keeping Haas on the F1 grid.
Gene Haas wanted his F1 team to promote his machine tools business but needed it to be run cost effect🃏💯ively.
Steiner approached Gene Haas then secured vital deals with F𒁃errari and Dallara before recruiting personnel and building the team from scratch.
They design only their chassis and aerodyna🤪mics surfaces, and bring in every other part from Ferrari, in a strategy devised by Steiner.
When the pandemic hit, Steiner’s🌌 financi🀅al guile meant that Gene Haas did not have to shut the team down completely.
By usi🅠ng Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin, Steiner brought in additional funds to keep the Haas team ticking over.
But now, as results have dimini🐭shed, Gene Haas wants a different approach.
They are expected to transition this year towards a car🎀 concept which Red Bull used to ⭕great glory last season.
Komatsu will now be the brai🍒ns behind the evolving car, and will be charged with taking Haas up the grid.
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, ✱to football, to F1.
