Komatsu lauds Haas team's 'amazing reaction' in China comeback
03/23/2025 10:38 AM
In the wake of a disheartening performance last week in Melbourne, the Haas F1 Team staged a stunning recovery at the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai.
Team boss Ayao Komatsu could barely contain his pride as he praised his crew for their resilience and teamwork, turning a weekend of despair into one of triumph with a double top-10 finish.
Esteban Ocon crossed the line in seventh, while Oliver Bearman, starting from a lowly 17th, clawed his way to 10th – an achievement that spoke volumes about the US outfit's grit and strategic ingenuity.
However, both drivers' results were upgraded to 5th and 8th respectively following the post-race disqualifications of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.
"It was an amazing reaction from the whole team," Komatsu told F1 TV, reflecting on the swift turnaround. The contrast to Australia couldn't have been starker.
Just a week prior, Haas had languished at the back of the pack, their VF-25 seemingly the slowest car on the grid, with drivers limping home in 13th and 14th after banking on others' misfortunes. But in China, the team found redemption.
From Shock to Synergy
The Australian debacle had blindsided Haas. Pre-season testing in Bahrain had hinted at a competitive car, but Melbourne's high-load corners exposed a critical aerodynamic flaw, triggering uncontrollable bouncing that crippled their performance.
"Australia was a shock to us, not something we were expecting based on Bahrain testing – but, man, what a reaction," Komatsu said.
©Haas
What followed was a masterclass in collaboration.
"Everybody – people in Italy, the UK, US, and trackside, working together within the space of several days… Honestly I'm so happy with the way we've been working since that shock to get the result here," he added.
Engineers, mechanics, and strategists rallied across continents, dissecting the VF-25's weaknesses and devising a plan to maximize its potential in Shanghai. The result? A car that, while still flawed, was wielded with precision to suit the circuit's demands.
Defining Resilience
For Komatsu, the China result was more than just points on the board—it was a testament to character.
"Everyone has a failure, right? But failure shouldn't define you. What defines you is how you get up from that failure – and I think as a whole team we showed that," he declared.
Ocon's race was a case study in execution: qualifying 11th, a mere 0.03 seconds shy of Q3, he surged past Alex Albon at the start and nursed a one-stop strategy to undercut Andrea Kimi Antonelli's Mercedes.
Bearman, meanwhile, turned a Q1 elimination into an opportunity, starting on hard tyres and balancing pace with endurance to climb seven places.
Yet, Komatsu remains grounded. The VF-25's aerodynamic woes haven't vanished—they have merely been masked by Shanghai's layout.
"I'm not kidding myself to say we solved the problem – we haven't," he admitted.
"So certain circuits we go to, we're still gonna have a big problem – but, when we can operate the car in the way we want, thanks to the circuit characteristics, this is what we can do.
"We delivered today."
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