Haas boss predicts ‘teamwork even more important now’ in early F1 2026 impression

Haas’ team principal Ayao Komatsu said the teamwork between driver and engineer has never been more important after the first test day in Barcelona.

Teams are out in Spain for a pre-season shakedown and while the media has been shut out, the data collected during these laps will be key to development steps ahead.

Haas boss reflects on first day of testing in Barcelona

2026 regulation changes has brought an increased sense of intrigue to pre-season testing as fans look to get any clue as to who could begin the season on top but for the engineers, laps completed is more important than lap time.

Haas has made a positive start to the year, following up a shakedown at Fiorano on Saturday with a smooth day of running in Barcelona and when asked how different the rules felt, Komatsu predicted teamwork is even more crucial.

“It’s not something drivers can do themselves,” Komatsu said of car development. “It’s not something engineers can sort it by themselves. So teamwork is even more important now.

“So engineers and drivers working together, which is what this sport is all about, but it’s a huge challenge. I think you will see lots of evolution throughout the testing, throughout the season, which would be interesting for everyone.”

As for the team’s testing, Haas reportedly completed the most laps of any team with Esteban Ocon behind the wheel for 154 rotations, leaving Komatsu pleased with the progress.

“In terms of mileage we managed to do, it was a really good but behind the scenes, it’s a huge, huge amount of work.

More on the first day of Barcelona testing from PlanetF1.com

* F1 2026 testing: All you need to know from Day 1 in Barcelona
* F1 results: Unofficial testing times from Day 1 (Barcelona)
* Red Bull and Ferrari singled out for early reliability strides in Barcelona

“I’m sure it’s same for everyone, but to even make the shakedown and then do the full mileage on the shakedown was a huge task.

“That was Saturday and then coming from Fiorano on Saturday to get us ready to run on Monday morning here was very, very good.

“So now we can start looking a bit more in the details. But with this brand new regulation, it’s very, very important to run and then every time we go out, we learn something new.”

Solving issues is the aim of the game for these first few runs and Komatsu suggested that with every lap they complete, another problem is discovered and solved.

“It’s very satisfying that we hit our target of doing the shakedown and then being ready for day one of this Barcelona test. So that bit is very, very satisfying.

“But now that we are running, we are discovering, let’s say, issues, problems you need to solve.

“But that’s what we are here for, right? So at least we are running, that means we are gathering data, we are identifying issues that we need to solve. Obviously, we just got started, but I’m very, very happy how we started.”

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