Haas Team Struggles with High-Speed Corners, Komatsu Seeks Long-Term Solution

Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu admitted a surprise at the Australian Grand Prix when his Formula 1 team faced performance issues in high-speed corners. Despite working tirelessly to improve these areas, Komatsu doesn’t expect an immediate fix for the problem.

Initial Performance Indications from Bahrain Testing

After following a similar run plan in Bahrain testing as in 2024, Haas sacrificed all performance runs for long-run pace and tire management exploration. However, this strategy didn’t provide clear indications of the team’s true pace compared to the rest of the field.

The team arrived in Australia at the bottom of the order, which came as a shock to Komatsu and his team. A significant performance deficit in high-speed corners, particularly Turns 9 and 10, was identified as the main issue.

Understanding the Problem and Its Impact

Komatsu explained that sacrificing some low-speed corner performance to enhance high-speed turns was the only way to bring the car into a “respectable” performance window. He acknowledged that the problem wasn’t isolated and expected it to persist.

The team managed to make some improvements in Turn 9 by Qualifying 1, but Turn 10 remained problematic. Komatsu admitted that the team couldn’t solve the issue for all corners due to its complexity.

Addressing the Issue and Future Plans

Instead of giving up on the issue and focusing on 2026, Komatsu plans to develop a solution for the high-speed corner problem. The team will tackle it head-on, understanding that a quick fix may not be possible due to the severity of the issue.

Komatsu believes the problem is related to the car’s interface with the ground at low ride heights. The team aims to understand which part of the car needs modification or has the sensitivity to solve this performance issue.

Once they identify the problem area, Haas will work on finding a solution through Computer Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and wind tunnel testing. However, Komatsu warns that a solution may not be implemented for several races due to the severity of the issue.

Photos from Chinese GP – Thursday

As the team prepares for the Chinese Grand Prix, they will continue their efforts to address the high-speed corner problem and improve overall performance. The team’s progress will be closely monitored as they strive to compete at the top of the Formula 1 field.