"Gene's completely right": New Haas team principal on team owner's comments terming 2023 F1 results as 'embarrassing'

New Haas F1 team principal Ayao Komatsu agrees with team owner Gene Haas's comments on the team's 'embarrassing' performance in the 2023 season.

The American team finished P10 in the Constructors Championship and were only able to score 12 points in 22 completed races. They had a peculiar car that faced several issues such as tyre degradation and lack of downforce in main races. But it was able to produce some eye-catching performances in the qualifying.

However, the inconsistencies caught up with them by the end of the season and they were unable to sustain the fight against their rivals in the lower midfield. Speaking with Sky Sports, Ayao Komatsu said:

“I was on the pit wall every single race, an hour and a half or two hours of that race. It is embarrassing to qualify [in a] half-decent position and then you know that on Sunday afternoon you are going backward because of the limitation we have.

“So it is embarrassing. Gene’s completely right, and that’s not why we are here. So I’m here to improve on that,”

Haas team boss explains the team owner's expectations from the 2024 season

Ayao Komatsu stated that Gene Haas doesn't want the team to finish last in the Constructors Championship next season.

However, the Japanese conceded that they were not expecting a lot of improvement in terms of performance from the 2024 challenger. He said (via F1.com):

“Gene at the moment wants to get off the back of the grid. Obviously, you saw and heard how unhappy Gene was. Of course, who’s going to be happy competing in last place? It is embarrassing, it really is embarrassing. So I think it’s positive that Gene is unhappy where we are."

Komatsu added:

"If the people in the team think ok, we’re last, and we’re not sure where we’re going, Gene doesn’t say anything, then ok, is Gene happy just making up the numbers and being P10? That’s clearly not the case. So that’s actually motivating for everyone here. Ok, Gene is serious, he wants to improve the team, so let’s do it together.”

It will be fascinating to see if the team can meet Gene Haas' expectations in the 2024 season given that they have gone through a leadership change.