Komatsu reveals Haas' highs and lows in its ten-year history in Formula One
Asked about the American's team's highs and lows since it joined the pinnacle of motorsport in 2016, Haas team boss Ayao Komatsu reckoned that the opening race was already a high for the Kannapolis-based squad.
Last weekend's Canadian Grand Prix marked the 200th Formula 1 grand prix for Haas since its arrival into the pinnacle of motorsport in 2016.
During that period, the American outfit has scored 335 points, three fastest laps, and one pole position. The team started the current season with an all-new driver line-up, with rookie Ollie Bearman and experienced racer Esteban Ocon driving for the American squad.
The Canadian Grand Prix saw Haas offer a nod to the past by adopting a livery that resembles the clean black, grey and red design used throughout their debut 2016 campaign. The team collected a total of two points courtesy of Esteban Ocon's ninth-place finish at Montreal.
Asked about the American's team's highs and lows since it joined the pinnacle of motorsport in 2016, Haas team boss Ayao Komatsu reckoned that the opening race was already a high for the Kannapolis-based squad.
"The first high was really the first race in 2016, Melbourne. By the time we left car build, we felt like we'd done a season already. Then we realized that we hadn’t done anything.
"Then pre-season testing—we don't remember much because we hadn't slept much. And then going to Melbourne, we were really almost dead. And then couldn’t do the pit stop practice, then to score the P6 with Romain was amazing. And then following that with Bahrain, race two, with a P5 with Romain on the aggressive strategy.
"So those are the clear highs. 2018 was a really good season, and Austria, P4 and P5, was an amazing result. It really was like a win for us. And then the low was when we started going in the wrong direction in 2019, and we couldn't fix the car.
"We had a half-decent qualifying car, but we just couldn’t race, and they couldn't solve it for the entire season. That was a low. And then COVID hit, and we really couldn't do much. So that was a low. But now, we are improving again. So, it’s good."
