Haas reveals double shakedown plans for 2024 F1 car

The American-owned outfit is coming off the again of the latest bombshell information that long-serving group principal Guenther Steiner won’t be staying on board after his contract was not prolonged.

Former director of engineering Ayao Komatsu has been promoted to the group boss job and is presently conducting a evaluation of operations to work out how greatest to maneuver issues ahead.

Whereas Komatsu wants to handle the larger image stuff, the group continues to push on with its 2024 automotive preparations – and has outlined plans to get precious mileage beneath its belt earlier than the official F1 pre-season check begins in Bahrain on 21 February.

Talking to chose media together with Motorsport.com concerning the 2024 automotive plans, Komatsu stated: “On 11 February we now have a Silverstone shakedown after which two days earlier than the official check begins, we now have one other shakedown in Bahrain. Then we go into the official testing.”

Whereas the automotive won’t be seen in public earlier than the Silverstone shakedown, the group has beforehand launched pictures of its contenders early – so it’s potential followers could get a sneak glimpse once more of any design modifications.

Haas endured a troublesome 2023 marketing campaign the place it completed backside of the constructors’ championship regardless of its automotive displaying spectacular tempo at instances.

The squad battled for a lot of the season to attempt to unravel why the VF-23 was typically so quick over a single lap however then struggled badly over race distances.

Picture by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Photographs

Nico Hulkenberg, Haas VF-23

A change of idea from the USA Grand Prix additionally introduced extra confusion, because the group ended the 12 months not sure if it had improved issues as drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen weren’t in settlement over it and ran totally different specs.

Talking concerning the progress the group has revamped the winter, Komatsu expressed some confidence about issues – however was wanting to level out that he didn’t anticipate a dramatic leap up the order from the primary race.

“The ’24 automotive is a transparent step,” he stated. “However whether or not it’s adequate towards the competitors to begin off with? I don’t imagine so, as a result of we began so late.

“We modified the idea so late as nicely after which by really doing the Austin replace, we diverted our sources a little bit bit. So, I’m sensible concerning the automotive we put out in Bahrain, however not in a damaging method.”

Komatsu believed that the group ought to be judged not on how issues look in Bahrain, however how a lot progress it may possibly make from that first race.

“It’s not the fault of our engineers, our guys, they’re good folks,” he stated. “For me, the important thing can be that regardless of the automotive we put out in Bahrain, regardless of the issues are that we see, we attempt to perceive it after which transfer from that time as a group, slightly than having potential points with an absence of cohesion between sure departments.

“We’re a small group so we can not have these inside points in the event you like. We’ve acquired to maneuver as one, in any other case we don’t stand an opportunity.”