Why Ayao Komatsu almost walked away from Haas F1 in 2023

Haas Formula 1 team principal Ayao Komatsu has revealed that he almost left the American outfit in 2023.

Serving as trackside engineering director at the time with Guenther Steiner as team principal, Komatsu explained that there was no transparency or alignment within the team.

"If I'm totally honest, I was ready to quit in Baku '23," Komatsu said during an appearance on the High Performance podcast.

"Because I just couldn't see how we can move forward like this. People not talking to each other, no transparency, no alignment, no transparent discussion. We were not behaving as a team.

"And I felt like I put everything on the table. It wasn't happening. I don't like to waste my time. I'm not interested in just turning up at the race track just to make up numbers. So if we are not moving forward... But inside I was very close to just walking, you know?"

While he considered walking away from the team, his loyalty to those who were relying on him to make a difference pushed him to persevere.

"But what stopped me from walking is I felt a big responsibility. There are people who rely on me, and people who are depending on me to make a difference. So I thought, OK, I'm not going to walk until I've done everything, or it's not my choice, if you like.

"So I wasn't going to just leave and leave the people I care about behind. That's the only reason I didn't leave."

Less than a year after he decided to stay, he took the position of team principal when Steiner parted ways with the team. In his first season in the role, Komatsu led the team to finish seventh in the 2024 constructors' championship, a significant improvement after finishing last in 2023.