Haas will introduce another upgrade package for the VF-26 at the 2026 Italian Grand Prix as the American team attempts to end a run of six consecutive Formula 1 weekends without scoring a point. With Audi now just five points behind in the Constructors’ Championship, Ayao Komatsu has made clear that Haas must find more performance and arrest its recent decline as quickly as possible.
Haas arrives at Monza without having scored in any of the last six race weekends, matching the recent points droughts of Williams and Cadillac. It is a particularly poor run for a team that had established itself more firmly in the midfield earlier in the season, but has since struggled to keep pace with the development of its direct rivals.
The situation has increased the pressure in the championship standings. Haas remains seventh with 21 points, but Audi has climbed to 16 and is now only five points behind, meaning another difficult weekend could put the American team’s position under serious threat.
Haas brings new VF-26 upgrade package to Monza
Team Principal Ayao Komatsu has confirmed that Haas will attempt to reverse its recent decline with another package of upgrades at Monza. The aim is to continue developing a VF-26 that appears to have reached a performance plateau compared with its direct rivals in the middle and lower sections of the grid.
“We’ll be arriving in Italy keen to put a frustrating weekend in Zandvoort firmly behind us,” Ayao Komatsu said while previewing the Italian Grand Prix. “There were positives for sure operationally, but ultimately, we’re still looking to find more performance from the VF-26.
“This weekend, we’re bringing another upgrade package to the car, so again, it’s critical we maximise our practice time, evaluate our data comprehensively, and strive to keep pushing in the midfield.”
Friday practice will therefore take on added importance for Haas. The team will need to understand whether the new components are delivering the expected gains before choosing its final configuration for qualifying and the race.
Ayao Komatsu wants Haas to repeat its late-season development progress
Despite the difficult recent results, Ayao Komatsu remains determined to continue developing the current car rather than accepting that Haas has reached the limit of what can be achieved with the VF-26.
“The races in the second half of the season come thick and fast – which is great – but it’s a challenge for sure,” the Japanese team principal added. “We showed last year that we can continue to find performance deep into the season, and that’s our continued focus.”
The new Monza package will therefore be an important test of whether Haas can repeat the late-season progress it achieved last year. With the midfield remaining extremely competitive, even relatively small performance gains could make the difference between fighting for points and remaining outside the top ten.
Why Monza feels like a home race for Haas
There will at least be one source of encouragement for the team during a difficult period. The Italian Grand Prix has the feel of an almost-home event for Haas because of its close technical relationship with Ferrari and the presence of its design office in Maranello.
A large group of Haas employees based in Maranello will attend the Grand Prix as a reward for their work and will have the opportunity to see the result of their efforts first-hand at one of Formula 1’s most historic venues.
“The Italian Grand Prix is always a special one for us, with our design office located in Maranello,” Ayao Komatsu explained. “We take the opportunity to welcome many of our teammates to Monza and have them experience what they are working for every day, and enjoy the atmosphere, which is truly special.”
The Italian Grand Prix forms part of the decisive second half of the 2026 Formula 1 season, and for Haas the priority is clear: make the new VF-26 upgrades work, return to the points and prevent Audi from erasing the remaining five-point gap in the Constructors’ Championship.
Leave a Reply