After leaving Barcelona without adding any points to its tally, Haas heads to Austria determined to change the momentum of its 2026 Formula 1 campaign. Following Esteban Ocon’s points finish in Monaco, the American team is aiming to fight its way back into the top ten at the Red Bull Ring, where Ryō Hirakawa will take part in Friday’s FP1 session.
Ayao Komatsu outlines Haas’ objectives
Team principal Ayao Komatsu believes the upcoming back-to-back races in Austria and Great Britain will provide valuable opportunities to further understand the VF-26 and unlock more performance.
“We are about to begin another double-header with Austria and Great Britain on consecutive weekends. Obviously, they are two very different circuits, but both provide us with an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the VF-26.
“In Austria, Ryō will be in the car for FP1, so it will be useful to receive his feedback as he has not yet driven the VF-26. He is coming off a podium finish at Le Mans with Toyota in the World Endurance Championship, which was fantastic to see, and he has once again been a key figure in our TPC programme this season.
“It is essential that we continue pushing ourselves to improve operationally and achieve the kind of results we know we are capable of. After scoring points in four of the first five events of the season, we need to rediscover that level of consistency.”
Hirakawa eager for his first FP1 appearance of the season
Ryō Hirakawa expressed his gratitude to both Toyota and Haas for the opportunity and is looking forward to getting behind the wheel of the VF-26 for the first time.
“First of all, I would like to thank TOYOTA GAZOO Racing and the TGR Haas F1 Team for this opportunity. It will be my first FP1 session of the season, and it has been a while since I last drove at the Red Bull Ring,” admitted Hirakawa.
“I think it is the perfect circuit to drive the VF-26 for the first time because it has everything: long straights as well as both low-speed and high-speed corners, so it should be a very enjoyable experience.
“The goal is to get comfortable with the car as quickly as possible and gather as much data as I can so that I can support the team in the best way possible.”
Bearman focused on achieving team targets
For Ollie Bearman, the priority is ensuring that Haas meets the objectives it has set itself before the summer break: “As we approach the final two double-headers before the summer break, there are many things we need to achieve before we can head into the holidays feeling satisfied. These are circuits that all of us know very well, so we need to approach each weekend with clear goals and make sure we achieve them. I know everyone is working extremely hard.
“The Red Bull Ring is a fun circuit to drive. It is one of the fastest tracks of the season, and not to mention the scenery, which is one of the highlights of the weekend. We do not race anywhere more beautiful.”
Ocon ready for a strong start to the weekend
Esteban Ocon is also looking forward to returning to one of Formula 1’s most iconic venues and believes preparation will be crucial to securing a competitive result.
“It is great to be racing again in Austria, one of the classic circuits on the calendar. The Red Bull Ring offers a great sequence of corners with significant elevation changes, and it is always a pleasure to drive there. The atmosphere in the Austrian countryside is also very special, and the fans always show us tremendous support.
“We have prepared well for this weekend by working closely with the engineers and spending time in the simulator. We know that we need to start the weekend strongly, execute cleanly and put ourselves in the best possible position for qualifying and the race.”
With several scoreless weekends behind them, Haas will be hoping that the Red Bull Ring provides the perfect opportunity to rediscover the consistency it showed earlier in the season and return to the Formula 1 points-paying positions.
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