Why Gene Haas “will get irritated” by repeated affords to purchase his F1 staff

Whereas then-team boss Guenther Steiner repeatedly denied experiences a few attainable sale, Haas's ongoing participation in Formulation 1 was a subject of debate earlier than the staff signed the brand new Concorde Settlement to proceed below the price cap.

Now the image seems utterly completely different. As Haas competes in its tenth season, staff principal Ayao Komatsu has revealed that whereas there have been “quite a few” approaches in current occasions from events eager about shopping for the staff, Gene Haas's dedication is as sturdy as ever.

Final season was one of the vital profitable in Haas's historical past, because it completed seventh within the constructors' championship with 58 factors, bouncing again from a disappointing 2023 marketing campaign the place it scored 12 factors and completed final. It was after that season that Haas determined to not prolong Steiner's contract, placing Komatsu answerable for the staff.

It was additionally Komatsu's thought to encourage Haas to drive one of many staff's automobiles, the VF23 from 2023 season, with the staff proprietor now set to have fun its anniversary by driving in the course of the Goodwood Pageant of Pace.

“This 12 months when he got here to Miami, I might see that he truly loved simply being there,” Komatsu stated to the media on Thursday in Silverstone. “He all the time asks numerous technical questions as a result of he is , however that hasn't modified. On high of that, he was simply having fun with the event.

“I believed, wow, I will ask him if he needs to drive in Goodwood. He did not know a lot about Goodwood, however now he is driving, he examine it, and he is actually excited for him to once more expertise issues like that.”

Komatsu, who has been with Haas for the reason that begin of its F1 journey in 2016, sees a optimistic change within the proprietor's engagement with the staff.

“Actually, he is seen numerous modifications,” he stated. “He is so engaged now. He understands the small print as effectively. What's one of the best ways to place it? He is all the time been very passionate concerning the sport and the consequence. He all the time needs us to enhance, which is what we'd like from the proprietor. He was all the time behind us.

“I do not know all the things, however within the final 18 months he is had quite a few affords to purchase the staff. He isn't . He actually enjoys being the proprietor of the F1 staff. At present one out of 10, from subsequent 12 months one out of 11. That is such a privileged place to be in.

“He got here in at a time when F1 wasn't like this. He caught with us throughout such a troublesome interval of COVID. Now he is having fun with it.

“Actually, Gene's so dedicated. He is coming right here [to Silverstone], clearly. He is arriving Friday or tomorrow after which staying for Goodwood. He is having fun with it. That is the principle factor.

“We're grateful that we've got such a passionate proprietor, so dedicated. He isn't eager about promoting in any respect. I can inform you just lately I had some folks actually pushing to purchase it, [Gene's] not . He acquired even irritated that these guys are asking so many occasions.”