Haas count multi-million cost of 'identical' F1 parts that perform differently

Haas have been losing performance all season to a problem they still cannot fully explain. Speaking in Austin before the United States Grand Prix, team principal Ayao Komatsu said parts that should be identical have been behaving differently on track. He called it a multi-million dollar issue.

The problem Haas cannot find

In Formula 1, teams make several copies of key parts, such as floors and wings, so they can swap them between cars or replace damaged ones. In theory, two copies made to the same design should perform the same.

According to The Race, Komatsu said that has not been the case for Haas in 2026. He said the differences have cost the team practice sessions and, in some cases, whole race weekends. He gave two examples: Ollie Bearman's car at the Hungarian Grand Prix and Esteban Ocon's car in Monaco.

Komatsu put the size of the loss at around 10 points of downforce, using the units engineers use for aerodynamic grip. For a team fighting in the midfield, that is enough to decide whether a car makes it out of Q1.

Why the cause is so hard to pin down

Haas have laser-scanned the parts, but that has not shown up the cause. Komatsu suggested a few possible reasons. One is set-up. Another is that the car is very sensitive to ride height. A third is the way parts are mounted on the car.

This is not the first time Komatsu has raised the issue. In August, The Race reported that he had flagged it as a problem that was only partly solved. Back then he said Ocon had been close to Bearman at Spa on Friday but struggled from Saturday onwards, with the team having changed very little. Bearman's car was described as feeling terrible in final practice in Barcelona, and Ocon's practice running in Austria was compromised until parts were swapped.

How it has affected the driver battle

The problem has made it harder for Haas to judge its own drivers. In August, Komatsu said it was very difficult to get a true picture of how Bearman and Ocon compared.

The overall result has still been clear. After Singapore, Bearman had 23 points and Ocon 7. Haas have since decided not to keep Ocon for 2027 and have signed Formula 2 leader Rafael Camara.

What is at stake in the standings

Haas are seventh in the constructors' championship with 30 points after Singapore. Audi are next on 23. Only six races remain, so a weekend lost to a bad part could cost Haas places that are worth real prize money.

Komatsu's comments suggest the team will keep checking parts throughout the Austin weekend. In Malaysia time, final practice is at 1.30am on Sunday, qualifying at 5am on Sunday, and the race at 4am on Monday.

Key takeaways

• Ayao Komatsu says variation between supposedly identical parts is a multi-million dollar problem for Haas.
• He put the loss at around 10 points of downforce, enough to cost whole weekends.
• Laser scanning has not found the cause. Set-up, ride height sensitivity and how parts are mounted are possible reasons.
• Haas are seventh in the constructors' championship, seven points ahead of Audi.

FAQ

What does "identical parts" mean in F1? Teams build several copies of the same component, such as a floor or a wing, to the same design. Each copy is meant to produce the same performance when fitted to a car.

Which races did Komatsu say were affected? He named Ollie Bearman's car in Hungary and Esteban Ocon's car in Monaco. Earlier reports also pointed to problems at Spa, Barcelona and Austria.

Have Haas fixed the problem? Not fully. Komatsu said laser scanning has not found the cause, and the team is still looking at set-up, ride height sensitivity and part mounting.

Sources: The Race, Crash.net, RacingNews365