Ayao Komatsu oversaw the second-best season in Haas’ history last term after being named team principal and has revealed the American crew have hit a milestone, too.
Just in 2018 when Haas got fifth place in the constructors’ championship on 93 points under the leadership of Guenther Steiner had they ever produced a stronger season than Komatsu orchestrated. Haas earned seventh in the 2024 standings on 58 points in a huge turnaround.
Team owner Gene Haas let Steiner go at the end of 2023 after Haas ranked last with only 10 points to their name. Only in 2021 when they did not score a single point had Haas endured a worse year. Yet Komatsu removed the fear Steiner spread at Haas and reaped the rewards.
Gene Haas does not have to put his own money into Haas F1 Team for the ‘first time’
Haas made £66m in prize money in 2024, marking an increase of circa £24m from the 2024 campaign. Were it not for Alpine’s late charge up the standings helped by Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly’s double podium in Sao Paulo, then Haas could have also received another £6m.
Yet Komatsu convincing Toyota to return to F1 after 15 years as Haas’ technical partner helps the American crew to receive tens of millions a year in sponsorship money. Meaning, for the ‘first time’ in their history, Haas are not relying on their owner Gene to meet the F1 cost cap.
“This year is the first time that, as a company, Gene doesn’t have to put his own money in,” Komatsu told the official F1 website. “We haven’t been hitting the budget cap [but] we are hitting it this year.
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“So, we have a different challenge of making sure we stay within the budget cap. It’s great that we [have] finally got here. But, in terms of mindset, it’s the same thing like trackside engineering.
“We really had to change the mindset of everyone, what is acceptable and what we have to strive for. It’s the same with this budget thing.
“Before when we were under the budget cap, if we had money, we could spend it without worrying about it. Now, we have to make sure we stay within the budget cap.”
Haas hit the F1 cost cap at the ideal time ahead of the 2026 regulation changes
The cost cap in the 2025 Formula 1 season is £116m owing to the record-equalling 24-round calendar ahead. F1 has a baseline cost cap of £109m set on a 21-round calendar, which rises with each additional race. But Haas’ cost cap in 2025 is £101m due to their vast outsourcing.
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Unlike the other nine teams on the 2025 F1 grid, Haas continue to buy as many parts as they can within the rules from Ferrari and Dallara. The American crew also use their relationships to outsource parts of their design process as Haas had to keep costs down in earlier years.
Hitting the cost cap for the first time in 2025 also comes at the perfect moment for Komatsu and Haas given F1’s 2026 engine and chassis regulation changes. Now, he can let the team’s engineers focus more resources into the R&D of their 2026 challenger with fewer concerns.
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