F1 News: Ayao Komatsu Agrees With Kevin Magnussen's Australian GP Frustrations - "Team's Fault"

Ayao Komatsu acknowledges strategic misjudgments at the Australian GP that hampered Kevin Magnussen's race.

MoneyGram Haas drivers Kevin Magnussen of Denmark and Nico Hulkenberg of Germany wave to fans during / Jay Janner/American-Statesman / USA

In the aftermath of the Australian Grand Prix, Haas F1 team principal Ayao Komatsu has expressed agreement with Kevin Magnussen's grievances, pointing the finger at the team's strategic errors. Despite a double points finish, Komatsu acknowledges that preventable mistakes were made.

Key Takeaways:

• Ayao Komatsu, the Haas F1 boss, admits strategic errors affected Kevin Magnussen's performance in the Australian GP.
• Despite scoring in Melbourne, Komatsu stresses the importance of avoiding such mistakes in the fiercely competitive midfield.
• Magnussen's team spirit was highlighted as he complied with team orders despite the strategy impacting his race.

Jun 18, 2023; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Haas F1 Team driver Kevin Magnussen (DEN) parades and salutes / David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports

In a recent assessment of the Haas Formula 1 team's performance at the Australian Grand Prix, Ayao Komatsu voiced concerns over the team's decision-making, despite Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen securing a commendable double points finish. The duo finished ninth and tenth, adding valuable points to Haas' tally, yet Komatsu hinted at a bittersweet sentiment due to strategic mishaps that particularly affected Magnussen.

The race saw Haas employ divergent strategies for its drivers, with Hulkenberg starting on hard tyres and Magnussen on mediums. This decision, alongside the timing of pit stops, particularly the early stop for Magnussen, led to a disadvantage for the Danish driver. Komatsu candidly acknowledged this error during an interview with Autosport, saying:

“On the first round of pit stops for Kevin, we lost two positions.

“That shouldn’t have happened. But other than that, everything else was amazing.

“Pitstops were amazing, and then the drivers working together again during the second stint – Kev was on the Hard tyres, Nico was on the Medium tyre, because of the VSC.

“Again, Nico had a better pace. But Kevin’s strategy was already compromised, not because of his fault – the team’s fault.

"So Kevin had every reason to be pissed off, but when we asked to swap, he’s done it straight away. So he knows how important these opportunities are. So, just right.”

Nov 17, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Haas F1 driver Kevin Magnussen of Denmark (20) during free / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Further elaborating on the race's strategic aspects, Komatsu revealed the team's reactive decision-making in response to competitors, which inadvertently compromised Magnussen's position. The choice to pit Magnussen immediately after Williams' Alex Albon and the consequent undercut by Albon were pinpointed as critical errors. Komatsu lamented:

“Albon pitted. He’s already undercut us. So we shouldn’t have then pitted on the following lap.

“But we did. So we let Albon undercut us – for no reason.

“Then, if you look at [Esteban] Ocon, he went longer on the first stint, and basically overcut us. So we lost the two positions. That just is not right.

“We cannot keep making those mistakes when everything in the midfield is so tight.”

Komatsu continued:

“Tsunoda had a better pace than us.

“But again, if we did our first round of pit stops right, and then with the pace we had on the second stint, I think we could have fought with him much, much closer.

“But just we need to put ourselves in that position first. But you know, full credit to Tsunoda, I think his pace was good today.

“But I feel if we’ve done the perfect job with Kevin, Kevin had the chance to fight with him until the end. That’s what we should be doing.”