Haas workforce principal Ayao Komatsu says there was an enormous missed alternative within the Azerbaijan Grand Prix regardless of Ollie Bearman scoring a degree on his debut for the workforce.
Bearman began from tenth place and ran competitively early on earlier than fading within the opening stint, then being concerned in a struggle with Franco Colapinto and Lewis Hamilton that ultimately resulted in a P10 end. The rookie’s efficiency was rewarded with a degree when Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez crashed late on, however Komatsu believes a top-six end was a risk given the automotive’s tempo had the workforce executed the race extra successfully.
“It’s actually combined, we should always have completed higher,” Komatsu instructed SiriusXM. “We had actually good tempo, and sure issues have been lower than very best so we solely got here away with a P10, however in my thoughts we should always have completed forward of [Alex] Albon a minimum of, presumably preventing in opposition to [Fernando] Alonso.
“To start out off with, the primary stint Nico [Hulkenberg] was dong very well and Ollie wasn’t doing so properly, however as a result of he was mainly over-managing the tires. Sure he might have completed higher, however from the workforce’s facet we should always have completed a lot higher – taking a look at Nico’s knowledge – to inform Ollie ‘the tires are higher than anticipated, you may push extra’. So mainly Ollie misplaced race time for no motive in the course of the first stint.
“That’s why we needed to swap the drivers in the course of the first stint, which Ollie wasn’t too pleased about however I completely perceive that the workforce ought to have completed a greater job within the first place in order that gave him an opportunity to up his tempo a bit extra.
“Then within the second stint on the laborious tire, each drivers had superb tempo. Actually good tempo. In fact we have been going to the tip and taking a look at Colapinto and Alonso’s lap occasions, we have been catching them fairly simply. So if Nico could possibly be there and if Ollie had correct first stint tempo ranging from the place he was, he would have been a step higher. So we actually ought to have had an opportunity to beat Alonso and Albon as properly.”
Whereas there was a transparent lack of time for Bearman within the opening a part of the race, Komatsu says it was Hulkenberg who ought to have scored extra closely however for quite a lot of incidents late on that rapidly caught the workforce out.
“Then with Nico, simply earlier than the final yellow flag he hit the wall on the Flip 15 entry with the best entrance tire. Then he by chance pressed the in lap button, and he didn’t understand. So after all he felt the automotive wasn’t proper as a result of it wasn’t in timed lap mode, so he had much less energy.
“So he thought he had a puncture, he panicked, and our communication to unravel that downside wasn’t environment friendly sufficient. So whereas he sorted himself out, he misplaced place to Colapinto, which is so irritating as a result of he had one thing like three seconds – a fairly snug lead. He shouldn’t have misplaced that.
“Then when the Sainz shunt occurred, Nico was nonetheless mentally recovering from that and he hit one thing huge in that yellow part, and when he got here out of that yellow part and noticed the inexperienced he wasn’t prepared, so Hamilton already overtook him. So he was out of the factors.
“We should always have a minimum of come away with 4 factors, minimal, but when we had completed higher with Ollie earlier it might have been extra. Nice that we scored one level, however I really feel like an enormous missed alternative as properly. The midfield is so tight, you’ve received to be good, you can not make these errors. In order that why it’s a bit combined.”
