Haas will bring an important upgrade package to their home race in COTA, confirms team principal Ayao Komatsu. Sitting just three points behind VCARB in the standings, Haas aim to overtake the Faenza squad and claim 6th in the constructors’ Championship.
Upgrades arriving to the VF-24 in COTA
With four teams capable of fighting for wins, securing points has become increasingly difficult for midfield teams in 2024. Still, this hasn’t stopped Haas from putting together their strongest campaign since 2018.
Having finished higher than 8th in the teams’ Championship only once, Haas are showing clear improvements in all departments. Not only is the VF-24 a competitive car, but the team’s strategies and operational efficiency are noticeably improved from previous years.
Above all, the American outfit have made significant progress with their mid-season development plan. Their most notable progress came at the British GP, when upgrades fitted to Nico Hulkenberg’s car helped him secure 6th place.
Another update package will be brought to track this weekend, as Haas target another step forward.
Ayao Komatsu can be confident in Haas’ development track
This season has underlined that this generation of F1 cars are very tricky to optimise. Ferrari, Mercedes and even Red Bull have spent several months trying to understand why upgrades have failed to produce the desired performance.
After spending the first few rounds as Red Bull’s closest challengers, the upgrades Ferrari brought to Spain derailed their season – only recovering from this setback with corrective updates in Monza.
However, alongside McLaren, Haas can be credited with one of the most reliable upgrade programmes this season.
The components brought to the VF-24 this year have consistently unlocked improvement, both in terms of absolute pace and drivability.
Largely thanks to Ayao Komatsu’s emphasis on race simulations in pre-season testing, the VF-24 began 2024 with a strong foundation. This baseline has allowed Haas to make consistent strides across 2024 – whilst also giving them a chance to carry this form into 2025.
Improvements from other midfield teams like Williams could complicate the team’s efforts to secure 6th in the standings. With that said, fresh off announcing their Toyota partnership, Haas are undoubtedly in a stronger position than ever before.
