Haas finished eighth in this year’s Championship, with Fernando Alonso’s P6 in Yas Marina keeping Aston Martin beyond reach.
Since becoming team principal, Ayao Komatsu has led Haas to 7th and 8th position in the constructors standings. Given that Haas only managed higher than 9th once between 2019 and 2023, this progress is worth commending.
Focusing on this season, the team’s final position does not fully reflect their competitiveness in 2025.
Amidst one of the most tightly packed midfields in recent memory, Haas collected a sizable 79 points. This represents their highest points total since 2018 – something Komatsu made sure to outline after Abu Dhabi.
Komatsu analyses 2025 Haas campaign
When the Japanese team principal was first appointed in January 2024, there was little confidence he could notably improve results at Haas F1.
The feeling in the paddock was that limited investment essentially capped Haas’ chances of climbing the field. A little under two years later, this interpretation has been objectively disproven.
This is not to say Haas are without certain structural deficiencies. Compared to other teams, including new entrants Cadillac, the US squad have a small workforce and limited infrastructure.
In some ways, this is why Toyota’s growing collaboration with the team will be increasingly relevant for their long-term success.
Still, Ayao Komatsu’s personnel have again shown they can punch above their weight:
“We couldn’t quite reach our target of beating Aston Martin today. But those championship positions don’t happen over one race, that happens over the course of 24 races.
“I’m very happy to say we should be proud of ourselves, how we improved this year and scored 79 points.
“Last year we finished P7 on 58 points, but this year the competition is so much tighter – and in the last seven races, we scored in six of them.
“It’s amazing that we’ve improved the cars two years in a row and finished the season on a high, it gives us confidence going into next year.”
A crucial winter break for Haas
For the first time since joining the sport in 2016, Haas can consider themselves more experienced than a few other teams on the grid.
Aside from Cadillac making their debuts, 2026 will also see Audi completing their first season as an F1 manufacturer team. Red Bull also face the challenge of making their own power units – albeit with help from Ford – for the first time.
With Haas continuing their Ferrari engine deal, there is plenty of continuity at the team.
Nevertheless, there are still challenges to overcome. The size and financial firepower of teams across the field are growing, particularly among midfield squads like Aston Martin and Williams.
This means Haas are at risk of seeing their already significant infrastructural deficit becoming larger. To an extent, Toyota could help mitigate this danger.
It is also noteworthy that Haas brought upgrades to the VF-25 towards the end of the season – later than virtually anyone else. Whilst this does not inherently mean their 2026 development was compromised, there is no margin for error as they try to understand the next generation of F1 machines.
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Main photo: Lars Baron/LAT Images (Haas F1 Team Media Galleries)
