Haas can be credited with a greatly improved rate of development in early 2024 – and they plan to continue progressing.
Haas were at the centre of F1 news headlines last weekend in Miami, though not for the points Nico Hulkenberg secured. Amidst Kevin Magnussen’s incidents, there were plenty of positives for the American outfit’s Grand Prix on home soil. The VF-24 performed above expectations, culminating in two crucial points in the Sprint Race. After introducing early upgrades, Ayao Komatsu’s team is working to produce more improvements.
As mentioned above, most of the attention last weekend was directed to Kevin Magnussen. The Dane was involved in several incidents and accumulated several penalty points.
However, there were other important takeaways for Haas. They proved competitive at yet another circuit, cementing their status as the seventh-fastest team. Even with moderate improvements from Alpine, Komatsu’s squad sits comfortably 7th in the standings.
Maintaining this early momentum is crucial to preserving this position. The Haas team principal explained after the Chinese GP that upgrades played an instrumental role in the team’s points finish that weekend. Heading into the weekend, it was uncertain whether their upgrades would be available for both drivers.
More upgrades incoming for Haas
Consistent with the team’s general philosophy this season, more updates will be fitted to the VF-24 at Imola. These will represent a continuation of the improvements already introduced this season.
Nico Hulkenberg confirmed this after the Miami GP:
“In Imola we’re going to get some more upgrades to complete that kind of package that we were building since Shanghai.
“So hopefully those can edge us a little bit ahead again and put us a little bit closer to the RBs, because they look really strong at the moment.”
Less than twelve months ago, the 36-year-old was highly critical of the limited development at Haas. Since then, there has been a clear change in the team’s efficiency and general operating procedures.
Although Faenza-based VCARB seems too far ahead for Komatsu’s team, there is a reasonable opportunity for his team to secure their best position in the standings since 2018.
Meanwhile, Haas will press for their driver line-up – especially Magnussen – to ensure they optimise the equipment at their disposal.
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