In a media name final week, Steiner instructed that previous to his departure, the wind tunnel numbers already instructed that the VF-24 could be aggressive and that the crew was “fallacious” to take a low-key strategy when predicting its potential type.
The automotive has already proved able to making Q3 and Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen have made the factors 3 times between them, placing the crew in seventh place within the constructors’ desk.
Komatsu insists that the crew couldn’t have predicted such potential because it didn’t understand how a lot progress rivals would make.
“I knew how a lot we have been discovering,” he famous in Suzuka on Thursday. “However I’ve received to imagine all people else is discovering at the least the identical or extra as a result of I understand how late we began. I do know we stopped for 2 months to do the Austin improve.
“Then we’re the smallest crew, proper? It is not like we have extra superior methodology. Now, I am positive all people else is as intelligent as anyone else, on common.
“So that is what my baseline is. It is not about bullshitting or placing up a smokescreen or something. That is my expectation of actuality.
“And realizing that quantity, I am sorry, nevertheless it’s not a giant quantity. So, there is not any manner I might have thought that may be ok for P7. No manner. Then how are you going to count on Alpine to do what they did? Would you expect that? No.
“Then you definately can’t financial institution on someone messing it up, you’ve received to imagine they’re doing an excellent job.”
Picture by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Photographs
Komatsu did admit that he downplayed expectations not for the skin world however partly in order that crew members wouldn’t be dissatisfied if Haas remained caught within the tenth place that it achieved in 2023.
“Internally as properly, I do not need my individuals to see the automotive Bahrain in P10, after which get depressed and get the heads down,” he stated.
“As a result of I simply wished to ensure, ‘You guys know what you are doing, you simply did not have sufficient time to place sufficient efficiency on the automotive – it isn’t your fault if we’re P10 in Bahrain.’
“That is the interior message I simply wished to be clear. So I wanted to organize my guys that for Bahrain, once we are final, they do not get depressed about it.
“Then they’ve received the grounds to say, ‘Okay, that is the place we will begin, that is the place we will enhance.’
“In order that’s extra inside message for those who like, nevertheless it’s not a bullshit smokescreen. Significantly, that was my expectation.”
Picture by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Photographs
Komatsu conceded that the Bahrain check indicated that the VF-24 had potential, regardless of the give attention to tyre administration slightly than outright efficiency.
“Once we did pre-season testing, after day one, day two, our long term tempo, I assumed we may combat towards possibly two or three different groups,” he stated. “I did not know precisely about how a lot, however someplace round P8, P7.
“However yeah, I solely knew that when we began operating. And in addition when it comes to, for instance, downforce we generate from the automotive – it is very totally different from what wind tunnel says.
“That inside itself is an issue. However a part of it’s a good shock. Might I predict that, trying on the wind tunnel quantity? No manner.”
Requested if the automotive is producing extra downforce than anticipated he stated: “I do not notably wish to go into element. Nevertheless it’s not like that. It is not linear.
“However sure traits we see on the monitor – it will not be nice on, for instance, within the easy quantity, outright quantity, headline quantity, ought to I say – however when it comes to traits, it is way more usable, so the motive force can extract it.
“So for those who’ve received like a peaky automotive, a driver can get to the restrict possibly on occasion. However when you’ve got received, for instance, a benign automotive – okay, absolute efficiency is much less, however 9 out of ten, he can get there.
“In the event you take a look at a race over 305kms, which automotive would you like? After all, you desire a benign automotive. After which this yr’s automotive will not be by design, however on sure elements of the automotive, we received that benign automotive.
“In order that’s why drivers can develop confidence from it. Once more, if someone can inform that from the wind tunnel, that is superb.”
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