Haas staff boss Ayao Komatsu admitted he thought one thing was damaged when his Formulation 1 outfit logged its preliminary FP1 laps on the Australian Grand Prix, and does not count on an instantaneous repair to its high-speed nook issues.
After following an identical run plan in Bahrain testing to what it had run in 2024, by sacrificing all efficiency runs for long-run tempo and tyre administration exploration, Haas didn’t have many indications of its true tempo versus the remainder of the sphere.
However the staff arrived in Australia propping up the order, which Komatsu revealed had stunned the American squad. A tempo deficit in high-speed corners, notably Turns 9 and 10, was considered as the primary wrongdoer.
Komatsu defined that shedding a smidgen of efficiency within the low-speed corners to use it to the higher-speed activates the circuit was the one technique to carry the automobile right into a “respectable” efficiency window.
“I do not suppose it is a one-off,” Komatsu stated. “It was an enormous shock, we weren’t anticipating that in any respect based mostly on Bahrain testing.
“Bahrain testing wasn’t good, however we weren’t anticipating it wherever close to as dangerous as Melbourne. In FP1, on a really quick lap when the automobile went out. I assumed both one thing was damaged or one thing is totally out of the ballpark.
“Then after we established, proper, nothing’s damaged, we have got an enormous problem. It was fairly clear the issue was in excessive velocity, Flip 9, Flip 10. Then we simply labored and labored to make these corners higher with the expense of low velocity.
Ayao Komatsu, Haas F1 Crew
Picture by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Pictures
“However even then, low-speed corners are okay, not nice – however in comparison with the problem we had in Turns 9 and 10, it is evening and day. So then by Q1, we managed to get Flip 9 roughly respectable. However Flip 10, nonetheless nowhere.
“We perceive why, however with the problems we have now, we can’t clear up it for all corners, proper? So I believe not less than we took right steps in the course of the weekend.”
Komatsu stated that the staff deliberate to develop its manner via the issue and “deal with it head-on” reasonably than surrender on it and deal with 2026, because the staff feels it has an understanding of the place the issue lies.
He reckoned that the outfit wouldn’t be capable of implement an answer for numerous races, given the severity of the issue. Komatsu believes it’s associated to the automobile’s interface with the bottom at low trip heights.
“I believe that is the perfect we may do with the Melbourne circuit traits, that our automobile’s weak point that we found in Melbourne after which traits of Flip 10 as a nook. At the very least then we have now clear understanding of what the problem is.
“Then subsequent level is to know which a part of the automobile we have to modify, or which a part of the automobile has the sensitivity to unravel this efficiency problem. So up thus far, we’re fairly clear.
“Then after all, subsequent is, how are we going to discover a answer? A few of them could be fairly short-term options, however a few of them will probably be an iterative course of, each in CFD and wind tunnel.
“So you are not going to see an answer for some races – it is fairly extreme.”
Images from Chinese language GP – Thursday
On this article
Jake Boxall-Legge
Formulation 1
Haas F1 Crew
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