Haas’s US GP upgrades could “define a race” thanks to tight margins

Haas Formula 1 team principal Ayao Komatsu hopes the small upgrades the team is set to introduce for the United States Grand Prix could lead to important gains in the constructors’ championship.

The American outfit is set to introduce an upgrade package to the VF-25 for the United States Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas. While the changes are only small with modifications to the floor and bodywork, Komatsu is hopeful that the fine margins across the grid could result in decent gains in the constructors’ championship fight.

“It’s small bits and pieces, with modification of floors and bodywork, so it’s not massive,” Komatsu told Road & Track. 

“But if you look at Singapore qualifying, Ollie was in P9, four-hundredths off Isack Hadjar in P8. So imagine if the upgrade even did a half a tenth, that is one position in qualifying, and that could define the race. That could be the difference between four points and two points, and end up in a constructors’ position difference. It’s big.”

“It’s just such fine margins. We qualified two-tenths behind the fastest Ferrari [in Singapore]. Then if you look at who we are, against the giant of Ferrari, I think that’s something we can be proud of.”

Komatsu explained that the team would likely give the upgrades to either Esteban Ocon or Oliver Bearman for the start of the weekend in order to draw comparisons. But with the United States Grand Prix hosting a sprint race, there will be minimal time for the drivers to adjust to the new components.

“We would actually do a compare, because we cannot be complacent,” he added. “Yes, it’s been working, the upgrade, but there is a chance we might make it worse! So we need to find out.”

Haas currently sits ninth in the constructors’ standings with 46 points, 26 points ahead of Alpine in tenth place and nine points behind Sauber in eighth.

Photos from United States GP – Thursday

We want your opinion!

– The Motorsport.com Team