Despite currently occupying a respectable P6 in the standings, Haas have experienced significant swings in performance.
At some circuits, the VF-25 has been capable of fighting for points and Q3 appearances.
Unfortunately for Ayao Komatsu’s personnel, certain layouts and track conditions have compromised the car’s pace.
Moving forward, the Haas team principal has emphasised the importance of establishing a strong foundation with set-up.
Komatsu establishes the priority for Monaco
After the dust settled at a chaotic Imola GP, Haas left the Italian circuit empty-handed.
A poor qualifying for Ocon, coupled with a frustrating Q1 elimination for Bearman, put Haas on the defensive for Sunday’s race.
Despite managing to recover some places, Bearman failed to reach the top 10 – whilst an engine problem cut his teammate’s race short.
Meanwhile, Williams claimed another major points haul with Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz.
Albon, who crossed the line in 5th, was still frustrated as he crossed the line, with the belief that a better result was possible.
Although Williams might have left points on the table, the frustration of their drivers after such a solid result is testament to the team’s progress in 2025.
This is bad news for Haas, who are increasingly under threat from VCARB, Alpine and Aston Martin.
Aston Martin’s upgrades in Imola were especially impactful, with only poor Safety Car timing preventing both Alonso and Stroll from top 10 finishes.
Still, there is undeniably growing pressure on Haas to keep their position in the standings.
Assuming Aston Martin and Alpine maintain their trajectory, the American outfit will need to find improvements quickly.
Luckily for Komatsu’s team, pure performance is not necessarily the biggest issue for the VF-25.
What is a problem, however, is that Haas struggle to stay within the car’s relatively small operating window.
Looking ahead to this weekend’s action, Komatsu outlined the team’s plan of action.
“Driver confidence is everything in Monaco so we’re looking to provide a stable and consistent platform from FP1 – so that our drivers can build up their confidence towards the all important qualifying on Saturday afternoon.
“For the race this year, we have a new sporting regulation where it’s mandatory to have two pit stops.
“This will add some variations to race strategy and make Sunday afternoon more exciting.”
Potential for changes in the pecking order
At this stage of the season, even with the 2026 regulations approaching, most teams are introducing significant updates.
Mercedes, Red Bull and Aston Martin were among those to bring new components in Imola.
More upgrades can be expected at the Spanish GP, due to both the circuit’s history of hosting pre-season testing and – perhaps more significantly – the introduction of a new technical directive.
This will make the next few months pivotal for all teams, and Haas are no exception.
Like others in the midfield, Haas are more likely to prioritise the 2026 regulations in a bid to jump some of the front-runners.
However, that does not mean Komatsu’s team – who introduced updates at the Japanese GP – will abandon the VF-25.
Main photo: Peter Fox/LAT Images
