Rob Smedley evaluated Haas’s form in Formula 1 and pointed out that the internal structure will prevent it from becoming a championship-contending top team.
The American team joined the grid in the 2016 season, heavily supported by the technical partnership with Ferrari. While the approach of entering the pack in a more economical way contributed to a drop in performance mid-season as they tried to keep up with the development race.
Smedley, então, mostrou respeito pelo comando de Ayao Komatsu, mas apontou que a Haas fica limitada pelo seu estilo de negócio. “Eles nunca terão essa possibilidade com a estrutura atual”, disse ao podcast High Performance Racing.
“They’ll never have the possibility to figure among the leaders,” he continued.

Jake Humprey, apresentador do podcast, adicionou ao discurso que “a Haas é a equipe que considero mais frustrante no grid da Fórmula 1, pela forma como sempre parecem começar com um carro rápido, mas não parecem desenvolvê-lo. Talvez eles não tenham os recursos ou a capacidade para desenvolver o carro.”

“I also love the management style and approach of Ayao Komatsu. I think Ollie Bearman is an exceptional driver, and I would love to see them move further up the grid. Not Haas itself, but the people at Haas. I would like to see Komatsu in charge of a team better positioned on the grid, and I would like to see Ollie Bearman driving for a team that competes for the top positions,” he concluded.