Laura Muller: Haas hires German as first female Formula 1 race engineer

Komatsu, which became the team’s main team ahead of the 2024 season, said it wanted to change its race operations team early last year after seeing weaknesses.

Haas’ changes include the appointment of a new chief race engineer and sporting director, joint positions the low-budget team did not fill last season.

The new chief race engineer is Francesco Nenci, who recently worked on Audi’s Dakar Rally program and has F1 experience with Sauber and Toyota. Mark Lowe, previously Haas’ group director of operations, will become sporting director.

“Last year I felt the track team was one of the weakest areas, and the more competitive the car became, the more that showed,” Komatsu said.

“Towards the end of the year we had the fifth fastest car. But in terms of execution, we should have finished P6 (in the constructors’ championship) but we didn’t.

“Part of it was that we left too many points on the table from the track operation. So we needed a step up.”

Cridelich, from France, follows other female strategic leaders, including Hannah Schmitz, chief strategy engineer at Red Bull. Ruth Buscombe and Bernie Collins, who previously worked for Sauber and Aston Martin, have both gone on to radio careers.

Haas has a unique structure in that its internal operations are minimized as much as possible through its partnership with Ferrari.

Haas uses Ferrari’s wind tunnel, has its design team in Maranello, Italy and buys almost every part from Ferrari that is permitted under the rules for its car, designing only the aerodynamic surfaces and the chassis.

They are based in Kannapolis, North Carolina, but the race team is run out of a modest factory in Banbury, Oxfordshire.

Komatsu said this would be the first year Haas would have enough budget to reach the F1 budget limit. Another change in approach is that they would not be using Ferrari’s redesigned front suspension, preferring to stick with last year’s design for consistency in aerodynamic research.

Haas finished seventh last year, ahead of the Racing Bulls, Williams and Sauber, and Komatsu said his sights were “set on consistency”.

“In our history with Haas over the years, I don’t think we’ve been competitive in seasons in the same way,” he said.

He added that he intended to further improve a team he said was “punching above its weight” due to its limited resources.

“Who (else) only has 300 people or operates out of buildings like this?” Komatsu said.

“If Williams was performing at his potential, there’s no way we’d be beating them. I want to get to a place where we can beat those types of people on merit without screwing people over.”