The first day of Formula 1 testing in Barcelona comes to a close with clear satisfaction inside the Haas garage, bringing positive news for Ferrari as well. Both Haas and Cadillac completed their respective programmes without any issues, offering early reassurance about the reliability of the Ferrari power unit. The team led by Ayao Komatsu, in particular, carried out an extensive test programme focused on long runs. The American outfit, which has recently strengthened its technical partnership with Toyota, entrusted the car to Esteban Ocon, who expressed his satisfaction at the end of the day.
The collective shakedown in Barcelona has now begun and will continue until 30 January. Seven teams out of eleven were on track, with Ferrari — which is set to run from Tuesday — McLaren, Aston Martin and Williams absent on the opening day. Even so, the Maranello-based team has been able to rely on the work carried out by its customer teams, with especially encouraging feedback coming from Haas.
Ayao Komatsu pleased with the mileage completed
“In terms of mileage, what we managed to complete today was really positive,” explained Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu. “Completing the Fiorano test properly was fundamental. Coming here and being ready to hit the track right from the first session on Monday is an incredible achievement for the whole team and, honestly, very rewarding.”
“As the day went on, we were able to start analysing the details more deeply, but with these new regulations it is essential to run. Every time we go out on track, we learn something new, and that is exactly why we are here. We are collecting data and identifying issues that need to be addressed, but we are only at the beginning.”
“That said, I am happy with how we have started the week. A huge challenge lies ahead, but we will see a lot of development through testing and then over the course of the season, and that will be interesting for everyone.”
Esteban Ocon focused on the development path
“First of all, the incredible effort from the entire team has to be mentioned, managing to prepare the car and bring it to the track at 09:20 this morning,” explained Esteban Ocon. “We were actually ready at 09:00, but we wanted to wait for the track conditions to improve and to complete a few final details before heading out.”
“From the Fiorano shakedown on Saturday with Ollie to being on track early this morning, a huge amount of work has gone into making all of this possible. We worked deeply and kept learning new things step by step. Naturally, the main objective is to build mileage with the car.”
“We will keep pushing to make sure every detail is covered, but at least this year we have more days available compared to the past. We will see what we can improve, so we can be confident that we are following the right development path and investing our resources where they matter most. For a first day at the wheel of a new car, I think it went well.”
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