Haas buoyed by impressive lap tally in test.
Under new team principal Ayao Komatsu, the team appears to have made significant progress with the VF-24, which completed a total of 441 laps (2,386.70km, or 1483.03 miles) across the three days.
23/02/2024 at 17:44
Andrew Lewin
F1i.com

Haas might not have been capturing many headlines with their low-key performance in pre-season testing at Bahrain International Circuit, but their reliability so far is certainly something to celebrate.

Komatsu said the test hadn't been about single lap pace and that they hadn't even begun to look at qualifying run simulations until today. "Today we completed our first qualifying sim, looking at the low-fuel car balance, and then we completed two race simulations," he reported after the end of the say's track running.”

"We successfully achieved all of this despite the track issues today," he added, alluding to a lengthy early red flag stoppage for another drain cover issue. "It’s been a very, very good day basically. Our race simulations show that yes, we’ve got lots more work to do, but at the same time we’ve got a base car that we can actually race.”

‘Impressive lap tally’;

https://f1i.com/news/500468-haas-buo...n-testing.html


Komatsu targets eighth after taking charge at Haas
Posted on 28th February 2024, 7:16
Written by Will Wood
RaceFans

New Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu has set his team the target of eight place in the championship for his first season in charge. “I guess it’s a very different dynamics compared to my predecessor,” Komatsu said. “Another thing is that I know the team, I know the people, the strengths and weaknesses, and we understand each other. So I think we’ve got a very good base to start off with.”

“In terms of the championship, we don’t want to be P10, of course,” he said. “We’d like to be in P8, to start off with. But of course that means we have to beat two teams, right? So who are we going to beat? So more than just the championship target, I think it’s very important we pull together as one, as a team, and move forward and make incremental improvements. So that’s what I’m looking for.”

‘Komatsu targets eighth’;

https://www.racefans.net/2024/02/28/...harge-at-haas/


Komatsu: New Haas VF-24 free of ‘nasty characteristics’
27/02/2024 at 08:12
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com

The Haas F1 team reported tangible progress last week in Bahrain in addressing the tyre degradation issues that plagued its car throughout the 2023 F1 season

“Last year's car was inconsistent, it was quite nasty,” said Komatsu. “Depending on the conditions – tyre condition, wind condition or track temperature – the car really wasn't behaving in a predictable manner.”

“Whereas this year's car is behaving in a predictable manner. It’s consistent. Yes, we are still lacking downforce, especially in high-speed and sort of balancing medium/low-speed characteristics, but I don't think it's got nasty characteristics.”

‘VF-24 free of nasty characteristics’;

https://f1i.com/news/500700-komatsu-...teristics.html


F1 strugglers pinpoint reason for hope after pre-season doom and gloom
24 Feb 2024 7:30 PM
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com

Kevin Magnussen has declared it is easier for Haas to manage their tyres with the new VF-24 car following a desperate season in 2023.

After three days of pre-season testing in Bahrain, where Haas recorded more laps than any other team with 441 on the board, Magnussen declared himself satisfied that the team have made a good step forward in terms of tyre management.

He told media including PlanetF1.com’s Thomas Maher in Bahrain: “The feeling of the car [is that] you can push a bit more, it’s a bit easier to manage the tyres.”

‘Pinpoint reason for hope’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/f1-reason-pre-season


Magnussen explains why he had a hammer in his Haas during testing
24 February 10:45AM
Author Ewan Gale
RacingNews365

Haas driver Kevin Magnussen has revealed why he was pictured with a hammer in the cockpit during the final day of F1 pre-season testing. The peculiar moment came during the Dane's final session in the new VF-24 before returning to the Bahrain International Circuit next week for the first race of the new season.

Explaining why he had a hammer, Magnussen said: "[I was] just adjusting the seat. We were doing a scan of the seat I was running last year and will also be running this year, so you bring out like a version of that seat but it is never 100 per cent correct. So there were a few adjustments to be made."

‘Hammer in his Haas’;

https://racingnews365.com/magnussen-...during-testing


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