Haas Chief Reveals Staggering Expansion Plans - 'Never Seen Before'

Saajan Jogia | Aug 11, 2024

Oct 22, 2023; Austin, Texas, USA; Moneygram Haas F1 driver Nico Hulkenberg (27) of Team Germany drives during the 2023 United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Haas F1 team has been making great strides this season by delivering point-worthy performances during several Grands Prix, followed by an aggressive hiring plan to further enhance its growth trajectory. Team principal Ayao Komatsu also received full backing from team founder Gene Haas, who is now completely involved in the project.

Haas is embarking on its most ambitious recruitment drive yet, targeting a 10% expansion of its 300-person team. This move comes after team principal Komatsu successfully secured new investments from Gene, with the support of Automation CEO Bob Murray.

With Haas currently sitting in seventh place with 27 points—a significant improvement from last year's 12-point, last-place finish—Komatsu has effectively demonstrated the team's rapid progress. This success allowed him to justify the need for additional funding to expand the staff, solidifying the case for the team's largest recruitment drive to date.

With ten races remaining, the bolstered support from increased human resources could provide a substantial boost for the American outfit. Speaking about the expanded recruitment drive and the incremental progress the team has been making, Komatsu explained in an interview with Autosport.com. He said:

“[We showed] we can improve the performance.

“Then what we need to convince [the] owner is performance. He's always looking at, ‘We want to get better, how can we go quicker?’

“So, if we can show baby steps that if we work together, even with the same resources...

“Now, even though we are on a huge recruitment [drive] that we've never seen before in the history of Haas F1 Team, we haven't actually got those people on board yet, so we are largely still the same size.

“But when you’re working together, it's just the atmosphere is so much different. And when the atmosphere is so much different, when there's so much positivity, of course people function better, people produce performance. That's the biggest difference I think."

Haas is set to debut a new motorhome aimed at boosting team morale and improving facilities for guests and sponsors. Komatsu went on to explain the importance of involving Gene in the project and the kind of difference it would make to him and Haas. He added:

“My strategy was to get people like Bob, who has been Gene’s right-hand man for 38 years, onboard, and Gene onboard, get them involved, get them to realize what it takes to be successful in Formula 1.

“The previous strategy might have been the opposite. But my strategy from day one is, ‘If the owner doesn't understand the reality, then of course he's going to get annoyed because he would expect the result that we cannot achieve’.

“But to get his expectations right, I really needed him to understand more about what it takes to be successful in Formula 1. And then Bob is a very key part of that. So, it's great.

“And then what I'm really pleased about, is Bob made that commitment as well when he signed me. He said, ‘Ayao, I’m going to support you, I’m going to work with you’.

“It just goes to the show from Gene and Bob, our parent company, there’s commitment. And then Bob 100% is backing it up by his actions. I'm really grateful about that.”