Ayao Komatsu has rebuffed options that being a Ferrari buyer ought to give Haas a bonus within the 2026 Components 1 midfield battle – claiming Audi is “superb”.
The American outfit loved a powerful begin to the brand new rules as it’s at present fourth within the standings after two rounds, with Oliver Bearman scoring seventh and fifth in Melbourne and Shanghai respectively.
Haas ought to therefor be proper on the entrance of the midfield this 12 months and its boss Komatsu reckons Racing Bulls (sixth), Alpine (seventh) and Audi (eighth) are its nearest rivals – with the latter catching essentially the most consideration in the course of the China media session.
Audi is making its debut as a full manufacturing facility staff in 2026 after shopping for Sauber and has been aggressive from the off, as Gabriel Bortoleto claimed factors and Q3 on the Australia opener.
That’s the reason Komatsu was stunned when it was steered that his staff holds a transparent engine benefit towards Audi and co, saying: “I do not know how one can say… ‘ours clearly higher than Audi’. I do not know what you are to say that. Have you ever checked out GPS hint? No, I do not suppose you’ll be able to say that in any respect.
“Once I say energy unit, I am purely outcome and pace hint. Whether or not a few of it’s coming from ICE or some coming from power deployment, but when we take a look at what they will do on the straight, Audi may be very, superb. Excellent.
“So, yeah, I am shocked while you stated ‘you are clearly higher than Audi’. By the best way, that is me not having a go, that is no approach me having a go at Ferrari or something.
Ayao Komatsu, Haas F1 Workforce
Picture by: Guido De Bortoli / LAT Photos through Getty Photos
“I feel it was attention-grabbing as a result of we’re preventing towards 4 energy unit producers. Racing Bulls with Ford after which Audi, after which Gasly [and] Alpine with Mercedes. Then after we are racing towards these guys, we see clearly completely different deployment capabilities, stronger technique.
“So, we needed to study that very, in a short time and for positive, I can not draw any conclusion on that, for instance, straight line pace aspect, we’re forward. It was really very tough. As you noticed, it was very tough to overhaul.”
Komatsu’s feedback have been then put to Bortoleto’s team-mate Nico Hulkenberg, who has endured a combined begin to the 12 months having failed to start out in Melbourne because of a mechanical downside.
That denied alternative of factors as he certified eleventh, which is the place the veteran additionally began and completed in Shanghai so the tempo is actually there however with enhancements required.
“I feel we’re okay,” stated Hulkenberg. “With out the PU we would not be the place we’re, however nonetheless, particularly I feel in quite a lot of the race situation conditions, now we have quite a lot of work and cleansing as much as do.
“We’re clearly additionally the one two vehicles. We do not have a buyer staff, so much less information than a lot of the different producers which have a number of groups. So no, I nonetheless really feel there’s nonetheless work in progress and nonetheless quite a lot of room for enchancment there.”
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