After four seasons without a podium in which Haas scored just 52 points in total, team principal Guenther Steiner and technical director Simone Resta left the team last winter.
The former was replaced by Komatsu’s former engineering director, while the latter’s position was taken over by Andrea de Zordo, who was previously the company’s chief engineer.
The decisions came amid frustration from team founder and owner Gene Haas over recent poor results, while outgoing boss Steiner lamented a lack of investment.
Although these developments cast doubt on the company’s future, Komatsu says Gene Haas has reaffirmed its commitment and remains willing to invest in the company, with a new camper on the way, while the team recruits also new members.
“I was officially appointed on January 10, right? Gene’s message from day one was absolutely clear: he said he had the money, he was prepared to invest,” said the Japanese. “But we need to show him that we can use the money responsibly and efficiently.
“He doesn’t want to see waste. There’s a reason he’s a billionaire, right? He doesn’t like wasting money, right?
“So when I looked at him, there are so many areas that we can improve. That’s why I wasn’t too worried about his initial message: ‘Come on, you have to show me that you are using my money from responsibly, then get to a certain position, then I think about investment.
“But I know for a fact that he’ll really invest when we get to that point. And he’s already ordered a new camper van for next year, which is not a small investment. So we’re doing it.”
Kevin Magnussen, Haas F1 Team, Gene Haas, owner and founder, Haas F1 Team
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
“And we’re now recruiting reasonably – given the size of our workforce, a lot of the new hires are approved. So yes, Gene is now putting into practice what he told me. So I’m not worried that He’s not investing. He’s going to invest. But we have to do our part, which is to use his money responsibly.
Komatsu added that he was “just trying to get [Haas’] self-confidence”. He also clarified that the investment in a new motorhome had been agreed before the encouraging start of the 2024 season, a sign that Gene’s commitment had not wavered.
Currently seventh in the constructors’ championship, Haas will however struggle to maintain this level against competitors like RB, Williams, Sauber and Alpine.
Komatsu said the US team would “absolutely” be left behind in the upgrade race and would focus on quickly introducing quality parts rather than quantity, waiting for new recruits to join by the end of the year.
“Even if we increase the number of people right now, you know, before people join, it’s going to be another six months, right?” he said. “So we just focus on the things we can control, and that’s what we got.
“How can we do it as efficiently as possible? And then we try to, let’s say, define the updates in a way that we can make them as soon as possible, as soon as possible.”
After four seasons without a podium in which Haas scored just 52 points in total, team principal Guenther Steiner and technical director Simone Resta left the team last winter.
The former was replaced by Komatsu’s former engineering director, while the latter’s position was taken over by Andrea de Zordo, who was previously the company’s chief engineer.
The decisions came amid frustration from team founder and owner Gene Haas over recent poor results, while outgoing boss Steiner lamented a lack of investment.
Although these developments cast doubt on the company’s future, Komatsu says Gene Haas has reaffirmed its commitment and remains willing to invest in the company, with a new camper on the way, while the team recruits also new members.
“I was officially appointed on January 10, right? Gene’s message from day one was absolutely clear: he said he had the money, he was prepared to invest,” said the Japanese. “But we need to show him that we can use the money responsibly and efficiently.
“He doesn’t want to see waste. There’s a reason he’s a billionaire, right? He doesn’t like wasting money, right?
“So when I looked at him, there are so many areas that we can improve. That’s why I wasn’t too worried about his initial message: ‘Come on, you have to show me that you are using my money from responsibly, then get to a certain position, then I think about investment.
“But I know for a fact that he’ll really invest when we get to that point. And he’s already ordered a new camper van for next year, which is not a small investment. So we’re doing it.”
Kevin Magnussen, Haas F1 Team, Gene Haas, owner and founder, Haas F1 Team
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
“And we’re now recruiting reasonably – given the size of our workforce, a lot of the new hires are approved. So yes, Gene is now putting into practice what he told me. So I’m not worried that He’s not investing. He’s going to invest. But we have to do our part, which is to use his money responsibly.
Komatsu added that he was “just trying to get [Haas’] self-confidence”. He also clarified that the investment in a new motorhome had been agreed before the encouraging start of the 2024 season, a sign that Gene’s commitment had not wavered.
Currently seventh in the constructors’ championship, Haas will however struggle to maintain this level against competitors like RB, Williams, Sauber and Alpine.
Komatsu said the US team would “absolutely” be left behind in the upgrade race and would focus on quickly introducing quality parts rather than quantity, waiting for new recruits to join by the end of the year.
“Even if we increase the number of people right now, you know, before people join, it’s going to be another six months, right?” he said. “So we just focus on the things we can control, and that’s what we got.
“How can we do it as efficiently as possible? And then we try to, let’s say, define the updates in a way that we can make them as soon as possible, as soon as possible.”