With 35 points on the board, Haas would generally be satisfied with their points haul in the first half of 2025.
Unfortunately for the American team, their current points total is only enough for 9th in the standings.
In an extremely competitive midfield, Haas must become more efficient if they are to climb the Championship order.
Aside from Alpine, who are 15 points behind in tenth, the midfield pack are fighting for points every weekend.
This puts Haas under pressure, and has exacerbated the weaknesses of the VF-25.
Komatsu calls for more consistency from Haas
After rectifying the set-up woes that led to their catastrophic weekend in Australia, Haas responded instantly in China.
With the help of a few disqualifications and DNFs, the American team claimed big points in Shanghai.
Esteban Ocon led the way, finishing the race in 5th and achieving his first points with Komatsu’s squad.
An upgrade package to the VF-25 soon followed in Japan, which gave Oliver Bearman enough tools to claim points.
At the time, the likes of Sauber and – to a lesser extent – Aston Martin were severely lacking in pace.
This has changed significantly in the time since, with Sauber bringing a series of devastatingly impactful upgrades.
Nico Hulkenberg’s podium in Silverstone is the obvious highlight, but both the German and teammate Gabriel Bortoleto are now regular contenders for points.
Bortoleto’s 6th place in Hungary capped of a surprise resurgence from the Hinwil team in the first half of the year.
Aston Martin have also progressed nicely, finally putting the pieces of the puzzle together with their new infrastructure.
In this environment, being slightly less competitive than at the beginning of 2025, there is less margin for error at Haas.
Team principal Ayao Komatsu touched upon this in Haas’ Dutch GP preview:
“After a two-week summer break, we’re keen and ready to get back racing.
“Especially in Zandvoort, where the atmosphere is unique with such passionate fans.
“Before the break, I felt we weren’t getting the results we should have been for a few races. But we’ve had a good reset.
“We now need to come out firing on all cylinders to maximize every opportunity as the competition is closer than ever.”
Reinforcements will arrive later in the year
Haas will have one ace up their sleeve in the final part of the season.
Unlike every other team in the paddock, Komatsu’s engineers are working on more updates this year.
In not a dissimilar fashion to previous years, Haas are expected to have updates at their home race in COTA.
Considering the fine margins separating the field, a few tenths could tip the scale in Haas’ favour.
Until then, Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman must do their best to try and limit the damage.
Although every team is capable of scoring points, some circuits suit specific cars better than others.
Aston Martin, however, will be optimistic the twisty nature of the Zandvoort circuit helps them replicate their strong results in Hungary.
Williams, meanwhile, are anticipating a tricky weekend in The Netherlands.
Of course, James Vowles’ team should be much stronger at the high-speed Monza circuit in a few weeks time.
With this in mind, Haas must work to consistently optimise their package and deliver regular points.
Main photo: Photo by Simon Galloway/LAT Images (via Haas media gallery)
