Ayao Komatsu breaks down Haas’s reliability setbacks during 2026 F1 shakedown in Barcelona. During the Barcelona F1 tests, HAAS faced reliability issues with the VF-26.

Final test day under pressure

On the second day of testing in Barcelona, HAAS identified a problem with the car. Speaking after Friday’s session, Ayao Komatsu explained the situation: “We had reliability issues on Wednesday, but once again, everyone in the team did an excellent job to fix the problem and get back on track on Friday for our final day.”

Repairing the issue demanded several hours of work. Komatsu continued: “We received the parts we needed rather late yesterday [Thursday], but then the overnight preparation of the car was excellent – we were ready to go out at 09:00 today [Friday].”

Despite this setback, both Ocon and Bearman managed to complete numerous laps and gather a wealth of valuable data. Komatsu added: “Everything we learn here puts us in a better position for the Bahrain tests. I’m really pleased with the progress we’ve made. Today wasn’t just about the number of laps completed, but the quality of each lap, which is a positive for us. We now have a huge amount of data to analyze – for example, very different aerodynamic characteristics, and there’s a lot to digest on the Power Unit side as well.”

Looking ahead to Bahrain

The next opportunity for testing will be in Bahrain, with sessions scheduled from February 11–13 and 18–20. After that, the team will head to Australia for the season-opening race.

Haas’s ability to recover from Wednesday’s reliability scare in Barcelona highlights a resilient team culture that will be essential as they navigate the complex transition to the 2026 technical regulations. By successfully logging high-quality laps on Friday despite a late arrival of spare parts, Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman have provided the technical department with the critical aerodynamic and power unit data needed to refine the VF-26’s baseline. While the initial “race against time” served as a wake-up call regarding the fragility of the new hybrid systems, Ayao Komatsu’s satisfaction with the quality of their progress suggests that the team is finding its rhythm. As Haas moves toward the more representative conditions of Bahrain, the lessons learned from this early setback may prove to be a vital advantage in ensuring their new technical partnership with Ferrari reaches its full potential before the lights go out in Melbourne.