As System 1 followers await one other launch season of recent automotive design pleasure, information popping out of Haas this week has offered early perception into how each the American squad and its primary provider, Ferrari, might fare in 2025.
When requested if his crew was altering its entrance suspension design for this coming season – in a media roundtable attended by Motorsport.com – Haas crew boss Ayao Komatsu laughed as he replied: “No.”
Komatsu knew precisely what was being referred to: the hypothesis that Ferrari had determined to make a serious design change for the ultimate yr of the present rules.
That is shifting to a path Pink Bull and McLaren (and to a lesser extent Racing Bulls and Sauber) used to nice success in 2024 and operating a pullrod entrance suspension.
The remainder of the sector together with – Haas and Ferrari – had pushrod entrance suspension preparations final yr.
When Komatsu confirmed his crew is sticking with that system once more for 2025, his subsequent phrases carried nice significance for the Scuderia.
“That is one other important second in my thoughts,” he added. “As a result of thus far in for instance 9 seasons of Haas F1 crew [2025 is the squad’s 10th on the grid], we all the time went with Ferrari’s newest provide.
“And never as a result of that was the knowledgeable alternative, as a result of that was the most secure and the simplest alternative.
Ayao Komatsu, Group Principal, Haas F1 Group
Picture by: Dom Romney / Motorsport Photographs
“It is not like this yr we wished to make some extent. As a result of they have been speaking about this for the previous few seasons, however we by no means truly did it in a means that carried over entrance suspension, as an illustration.
“However when [Haas’s technical team] checked out it correctly by way of, ‘OK, if we purchase Ferrari’s newest 2025 entrance suspension, when are we gonna have info accessible, what [does] that imply by way of aero hit?’
“As a result of whenever you introduce one thing like that, you must take a success first, proper? Then you must get well evaluating that.
“After which how a lot potential that unlocks, evaluating that towards ‘do not cease growth as a result of we stock over the entrance suspension’. How a lot potential is left in that?
“They’ve completed the right research. The conclusion was we must always do a carryover.
“So, it is good that we have completed the right research, then we had the arrogance to then go for that call. Whereas, earlier than, we did not.”
However Haas is known to nonetheless be taking important design cues from Ferrari in 2025.
Sources counsel it’s adjusting the realm round its cockpit, in addition to making its rear suspension and gearbox space shorter to stay inside F1’s 3,600mm complete wheelbase size rule from the entrance wheels to the rears.
However in not making such a serious change on the entrance, Haas is banking on not shedding time understanding how this will likely shift its aerodynamic platform at a time when it nonetheless wants short-term successes to safe recent funding from proprietor Gene Haas.
This might be essential to improve or certainly transfer away from its present Banbury base, with plans on this understood to be introduced to Gene Haas on the finish of January.
Esteban Ocon, Haas VF-24
Picture by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Photographs
Within the crowded midfield, the prize cash on the road this yr when competing towards Alpine, Williams, RB and Sauber means Haas simply can not afford to spend races misplaced on its automotive set-up.
What the mooted – however thus far formally unconfirmed by the crew – entrance suspension swap means for Ferrari is two-fold.
It places it according to Pink Bull and McLaren in an space that may widen the methods through which groups nail the journey heights so crucial for efficiency on this period – one thing that damage Ferrari final yr when it launched a brand new ground in Spain.
However therein lies hazard too. As Komatsu outlined, Ferrari might need to spend time it doesn’t have understanding the total impression of the modifications when its 2025 challenger hits the monitor.
It does, nevertheless, possess the huge assets and workers degree to be additional down such a route based mostly on simulation instruments alone in comparison with the extra restricted state of affairs at Haas, however 2024 confirmed how such an enormous crew can nonetheless get issues incorrect.
Arguably, Ferrari misplaced final yr’s constructors’ crown to McLaren because it needed to spend the mid-season understanding the place it had gone so incorrect on ground growth.
Within the races post-Barcelona, its then-driver line-up of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz was shedding confidence in high-speed corners with the rear ends of the SF-24s bouncing.
The duty at hand for Ferrari is due to this fact how in attempting to win massive in 2025 with a major potential change, it doesn’t threat shedding its present sturdy place with a serious reset looming for 2026.
That is one other think about why Haas is sticking with its current entrance suspension association on this case.
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On this article
Alex Kalinauckas
System 1
Haas F1 Group
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