Haas had a tough time with their Formula 1 car last year. There was a big problem with how it handled, especially with the tires. The car could do well in qualifying, but during races, the tires would wear out too quickly.
This year, Haas worked hard on fixing these problems with their new car, the VF-24. They spent a lot of time testing in Bahrain, trying to make the car better at saving tires during races.
Their efforts seemed to pay off a bit. In the second race of the season, their driver Hulkenberg scored some points. Komatsu, from Haas, felt hopeful about their chances this year, especially after the first race where their drivers showed promise.
But in the recent race in Shanghai, things didn’t go well for Hulkenberg. He started 13th but ended up finishing last. He said there was a problem with how the car was set up, and the tires wore out too quickly.
Komatsu explained that Hulkenberg’s tough weekend shows that Haas still has work to do. They thought they had fixed the tire problem, but it’s not completely gone. The conditions in Shanghai made it harder for them, and they need to figure out how to improve.
He mentioned that they might need to change some things if they race in Shanghai again. They need to find a balance so that the tires last longer.
Even though Hulkenberg managed to score some points in the next race, his pace wasn’t great. Komatsu said it’s a combination of things that affect tire wear. They need to make sure the car, the setup, and the driving all work together to keep the tires in good condition.
Komatsu mentioned that they went back to an old setup for the main race, which helped with the tires. They tried some small changes before that made things worse. Hulkenberg’s pace in the main race wasn’t amazing, but scoring points was still a good result for them.
