Ayao Komatsu proud as Haas bounces back: “Melbourne was a disaster, but we developed the car well”. Ayao Komatsu reflects on Haas’ 2025 season.

Ayao Komatsu is proud of the work Haas accomplished in 2025. For the American team, it was the second-best season in its Formula 1 history.

Haas grows under Komatsu

Ayao Komatsu represented a break from the past era under Günther Steiner; with the Japanese engineer leading the pit wall, the team gained in engineering mindset and problem-solving capabilities. Haas also enjoyed notable achievements, including Oliver Bearman’s fourth-place finish in Mexico — the team’s best result in a Grand Prix since Romain Grosjean in Austria in 2018.

Komatsu successfully centralized engineering and strategy, creating stronger cohesion across departments and introducing a pragmatic, track-focused approach. These are accomplishments of which the Japanese engineer is rightly proud, having guided Haas from last place to eighth in the Constructors’ Championship. More impressively, the team scored 79 points — a total only previously reached in 2018.

Komatsu’s words

“I don’t think we will ever be fully satisfied until we have a car capable of winning races, but I’m pleased that in 2025 we managed to develop the car throughout the season. We ended the year with the fifth-fastest car,” Ayao Komatsu said in Abu Dhabi. “In Melbourne we were a disaster. We were last with a gap of six-tenths, which is enormous. Starting from that situation and managing to fight in the upper midfield, we once again demonstrated that we are capable of developing the car.”

“In this regard, I am extremely happy with how people are collaborating, supporting each other, and achieving these results with the car,” he added. “Especially considering that we are still by far the smallest team. We’re not even half the size of the others; I’d say we’re closer to a third. My job, however, is to create a better environment so that the team can work more effectively, which I am confident they will do.”

As Haas looks toward the future, the stability and technical focus brought by Ayao Komatsu seem to have finally unlocked the team’s true potential within its unique operating model. By proving they can sustain a development war against much larger rivals, the American team has silenced many critics who doubted their longevity in the sport. If Komatsu can continue to refine this efficient environment, Haas may well find itself moving from a midfield underdog to a consistent points-scoring threat in the seasons to come.