Haas F1 team principal Ayao Komatsu sticks boot into Guenther Steiner following departure

Teambaas van Haas in Singapore — Photo: © LAT Images

F1 News & Gossip

F1 team principal sticks boot into Steiner following Haas departure

The Italian left the team last week after eight seasons as boss

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Saturday 20 January 2024 16:57

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New Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu has said that the team's lack of race pace in 2023 was 'embarrassing', despite having strong one-lap pace throughout the season.

The Gene Haas-owned outfit finished rock bottom of the constructors' championship, with veteran drivers Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg only managing to score 12 points between them.

This rather unexpectedly led to the departure of Guenther Steiner, a man who had guided the team through their first eight seasons in Formula 1.

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While American businessman Haas suggested that Steiner's sacking was a result of the team not claiming a podium in those eight seasons and scrambling around at the back of the grid since 2018, Haas did endure some specific problems in 2023.

The two drivers' average qualifying positions in the season were 12th and 19th respectively, yet Hulkenberg only managed two top-10 finishes while Magnussen claimed three 10th-place finishes.

Gene Haas removed Guenther Steiner from his position following a poor 2023

Ayao Komatsu is the man who has taken over from Guenther Steiner at Haas

Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen's contracts with Haas both expire at the end of 2024

Haas' poor 2023 season

Now, Komatsu has drawn on these poor race performances to outline how he will offer a fresh look for the team in 2024. The Japanese team boss worked alongside Steiner as the chief race engineer with the American outfit.

"I am never going to try and replicate Guenther Steiner," Komatsu told Sky Sports.

"Guenther is a very unique human being and I had a very, very good working relationship, and outside of work we got on really well together.

"Guenther has done a lot for this team. He set the team up to start off with, so I have a huge respect for Guenther and what he has achieved. So I try to improve on what he has left here.

"I was on the pit wall every single race, an hour and a half or two hours of that race," he continued.

"It is embarrassing to qualify [in a] half decent position and then you know that on Sunday afternoon you are going backwards because of the limitation we have.

"So it is embarrassing. Gene's completely right, and that's not why we are here. So I'm here to improve on that."