The VF-23 struggled all yr with tyre overheating that meant good grid positions went to waste because the automobiles slipped down the order.
Haas has tried to handle that inherent trait with the VF-24 and can use this week’s three days of testing at Sakhir to guage if it has been profitable reasonably than attempting totally different set-ups in quest of a efficiency candy spot.
“It is probably not a lot evaluating the variations throughout the specs, however for those who have a look at our concern final yr, it was clear that on Sunday we simply couldn’t handle the tyres for 300 kilometres,” mentioned Komatsu. “In order that’s what we’re targeted on.
“Our Bahrain check programme is totally targeted on producing the related information in order that our engineers can perceive what’s taking place to the automobile and what’s taking place to the tyres.
“Then we will resolve, if now we have good high quality information, on the conclusion of methods to enhance it. Then we resolve a unique route on that.”
Ayao Komatsu, Workforce Principal of Haas F1 Workforce
Photograph by: Haas F1 Workforce
Komatsu doesn’t count on that the workforce will make fast progress relative to rivals, however he’s assured within the longer-term image.
“The short-term goal actually is to make incremental enhancements,” he mentioned. “As I’ve mentioned earlier than, I imagine we’ve acquired good substances and we’ve acquired good individuals within the workforce, however we’ve actually acquired to concentrate on the workforce being as one to make these enhancements.
“Lengthy-term clearly comes because of that, so as an illustration, our first ‘medium-term’ objective is to improve to a automobile that works, and that has occurred earlier than so I imagine we will do it.”
Kevin Magnussen made it clear that he desires a constant automobile, and instructed that final yr’s improve package deal – first seen on the US GP – was a helpful step.
“I feel the automobile we began the season with – earlier than race 19 once we acquired the improve – had good grip, the height grip was good, nevertheless it was very unstable and inconsistent,” mentioned the Dane. “It’s one thing that I struggled with a little bit bit.
“I just like the entrance to be no less than constant in order that I can take care of oversteer or understeer. It’s not like I’ve a choice actually, it’s the inconsistency, particularly on the late entry to the corners, that’s the place I want to have the ability to decide to getting the automobile rotated and staying on the brakes.
“It helped lots with the automobile from Austin. It wasn’t an enormous step, nevertheless it was a step in the suitable route, and I hope this yr is a good greater step in that route.”
Nico Hulkenberg, Haas F1 Workforce
Photograph by: Haas F1 Workforce
Magnussen believes that classes discovered in 2023 will repay with the VF-24 over this season.
“The replace was extra of an experiment final yr,” he mentioned. “It’s exhausting to name it an replace or improve as a result of it wasn’t actually upwards, it was simply sideways, nevertheless it was an excellent experiment by way of committing to the idea of automobile that now we have this yr.
“I feel we wished to see the potential and traits on observe with this idea of automobile, and this yr is in that route.
“I hope we will take a step ahead. We dedicated to this yr’s automobile fairly late in growth, so we’ve had fairly a short while to develop, and it’s really been going fairly effectively.
“Though I don’t assume we will assure that it’s a step ahead straightaway in Bahrain on the first race, I feel the event seems to be extra attention-grabbing no less than.”
