Haas started serious recruiting drive, reveals Ayao Komatsu
Having completed a more successful first half of the season than initially expected, Haas team boss Ayao Komatsu has revealed that the American outfit has been undertaking a serious recruiting drive.
Haas owner Gene Haas elected to part ways with former team boss Guenther Steiner, and promoted Ayao Komatsu to lead the American outfit.
The Japanese sounded a negative note ahead of the season, expecting Haas to emerge as the slowest team on the grid. Komatsu proved wrong as Haas has delivered several strong performances so far in the first 14 races.
Expanding on the Kannapolis-based outfit’s prospects, Komatsu revealed that Haas is currently undertaking a recruitment drive "never seen before" in its Formula 1 history. Haas staff still encompasses only around 300 members compared to 1000 at the leading teams. The recruitment drive will see Haas increase its staff by around ten per cent thanks to the latest investment from team owner Gene Haas.
Haas will also introduce a new motorhome next year, aiming to boost morale and improve facilities for guests and sponsors.
"[We showed] we can improve the performance. Then what we need to convince [the] owner is performance. He's always looking at, ‘We want to get better, how can we go quicker?’”
Speaking of the atmosphere inside the team, Komatsu noted: “When you’re working together, it’s just the atmosphere is so much different.
“And when the atmosphere is so much different, when there’s so much positivity, of course, people function better, people produce performance. That’s the biggest difference I think.”
Crediting Haas Automation CEO Bob Murray, Komatsu noted: “Bob made that commitment as well when he signed me. He said, ‘Ayao, I’m going to support you, I’m going to work with you.’
“If the owner doesn’t understand the reality, then of course he’s going to get annoyed because he would expect the result that we cannot achieve.
“It just goes to the show from Gene and Bob, our parent company, there’s commitment. And then Bob 100% is backing it up by his actions. I’m really grateful about that.”
