Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu has spoken about the debuting German power unit and the implications for the 2026 Formula 1 season.
Haas expresses caution over Audi
The Haas team, led by team principal Ayao Komatsu, has expressed significant caution regarding Audi as a direct competitor in the fight for midfield supremacy in the 2026 F1 season. Komatsu firmly rejected the idea that Haas’s customer relationship with Ferrari automatically provides a clear advantage in terms of the power unit, instead emphasizing the impressive performance shown by the Audi engine from the very first races.
Haas began the season under the new regulations positively, with Oliver Bearman finishing 7th and 5th in the first two Grands Prix. These results allowed the team to sit 5th in the drivers’ standings and 4th in the constructors’ championship. In this context, the closest rivals for the midfield battle are considered to be Red Bull Racing, Alpine, and above all Audi.
Ayao Komatsu’s statements on the Audi engine
The Japanese manager expressed surprise at claims of a supposed clear superiority of the Ferrari engine compared to Audi. He said: “I don’t understand why anyone would say our engine is clearly better than Audi’s. What are they looking at? Have they seen the GPS traces? I really don’t think such a statement can be made.”
Komatsu explained his analytical approach: “When I talk about power units, I purely look at results and speed traces. Whether it’s contributions from the internal combustion engine or energy deployment, observing what they can do on the straights, Audi is extremely strong. It’s really, really good.”
He also said he was surprised when the idea of a clear advantage was raised: “Yes, when you said ‘clearly superior to Audi,’ it surprised me. That said, this doesn’t mean I am criticizing Ferrari, which provides us with our power unit.”
The power unit manufacturer comparison
Komatsu also highlighted the interest in the ongoing comparison between the four power unit manufacturers present in F1: Red Bull with Ford, Audi, Alpine, and Mercedes. “It’s interesting to see all four PU manufacturers fighting. When we race against them, it’s clear that deployment capabilities and strategies differ. We had to understand this very quickly. As for straight-line speed, I can’t say for sure that we lead. In reality, it’s very difficult. As you’ve seen, overtaking has been really challenging.”
Overall, Komatsu’s statements acknowledge the value of Audi’s power unit project, which presents a tangible threat in the midfield battle, while recognizing that further refinement—particularly in race conditions with limited data—is still ongoing.
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