Romain Grosjean salutes the success of his former engineer Ayao Komatsu at Haas F1, and begins to dream of a return to Formula 1.
Romain Grosjean, former Formula 1 driver for the Haas team between 2016 and 2020, expressed his admiration for Ayao Komatsu, now at the head of the American team.
The Frenchman spoke to the official F1 website, sharing his pride and satisfaction with the promising results obtained by his former engineer.
A successful transformation for Haas F1
Ayao Komatsu took the reins of Haas F1 at the start of the season, succeeding Günther Steiner. With the mission of relaunching a team in difficulty, the Japanese implemented new methods and an internal reorganization which are bearing fruit.
Result: Haas is now fighting for sixth place in the constructors' championship, a significant jump after finishing last in 2023.
Romain Grosjean did not hide his joy: “I am very proud of Ayao and what he has achieved at Haas. He was able to make the best of the situation and transform the team.”
The pilot also revealed that he was taken into confidence before the official announcement of Komatsu's appointment: “Ayao sent me a message to tell me. I told him how proud I was of him and happy for him.”
Deserved recognition for Komatsu
When Grosjean was asked about his former engineer's ability to take on the role of team boss, he admitted not having imagined such a scenario at the time: “No, you never know. It’s a totally different role, with political and media issues.”
However, he praised Komatsu's skills, emphasizing his ability to meet this unexpected challenge: “I knew he had what it took to succeed, but that part was still an unknown. And he’s doing incredibly well.”
A desire to return to the circuits?
This success even inspires a certain nostalgia in Grosjean, now involved in IndyCar but still without a steering wheel for 2025: “It almost makes me want to race for Haas in Formula 1 again!”
With clearly improving results and positive dynamics, the transformation of Haas under the management of Komatsu illustrates the team's potential to regain a competitive role in Formula 1. A great story of successful reconversion which does not fail to thrill the fans and former members of the team.
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