Again in January, the Haas System 1 workforce gave the impression to be reeling. Guenther Steiner’s removing as workforce principal was a significant shock, and it was swiftly adopted by affirmation that technical director Simone Resta had additionally departed.
Lower than two months earlier than the beginning of the brand new season, Haas was set for brand spanking new administration each on the general workforce facet but additionally the technical division that juggles the Ferrari partnership with Dallara manufacturing.
It was hardly a shock to listen to Steiner’s alternative Ayao Komatsu setting extraordinarily low expectations for the place the workforce can be at the beginning of the 12 months. 2023 had ended with Haas unable to beat excessive tire put on and poor race tempo, usually seeing sturdy qualifying performances adopted by an inevitable and irritating slide to the again of the sector. So, heading into the brand new marketing campaign, Komatsu stated: “Out of the gates in Bahrain, I nonetheless suppose we’re going to be in direction of the again of the grid, if not final.”
There was one thing else that Komatsu wished to spotlight, although, and it was the individual tasked with shifting the workforce ahead from a automotive improvement standpoint.
“Our new technical director is Andrea De Zordo,” Komatsu famous. “He was the chief designer beforehand and is a really technical individual. His communication is sweet, he’s very engaged and he listens to individuals, so I’m very blissful about that appointment.”
De Zordo had labored intently with Resta up to now however was additionally somebody who had expertise of what went incorrect with Haas’ main improve at Circuit of The Americas final 12 months that set the workforce again each within the short-term in addition to in its improvement of its 2024 automotive. In some ways, he couldn’t lose. Haas had completed backside of the constructors’ championship with the slowest automotive in races, so the one manner was up.
“After all it was a recent begin, as a result of quite a lot of issues modified — the group, the best way of working — so there was a sure change multi functional go, not prefer it was deliberate out earlier than,” De Zordo tells RACER. “It’s important to adapt to that alongside a brand new job for me and Ayao, and so it was a really demanding time. However the factor is I had a great relationship with Ayao earlier than and I’ve a great relationship with him now. We work collectively I feel fairly properly.”
The working relationship with Komatsu was one thing De Zordo wanted to think about, as he admits he had some trepidation about taking up the technical director function for the primary time. From the skin, a promotion would possibly at all times seem like a constructive step, however the actuality is it comes with added duty and recent unknowns that may be daunting when you find yourself blissful in your current function.
A powerful working relationship with Komatsu helped De Zordo (at proper) get off to a quick begin in his new function. Andy Hone/Motorsport Photographs
“It was one thing utterly not anticipated. The day they requested me to tackle the function, I awoke within the morning and I didn’t even consider that,” he admits. “It was a really, very large shock. After all I used to be scared initially — very scared — as a result of it was a giant bounce. So I believed fastidiously about that; I used to be undecided at first, after which I accepted the proposal.
“The primary month was very, very busy. You actually really feel the stress in your abdomen. You get up every morning and also you say, ‘I hope to have the ability to do it.’ After which day after day you notice that you just can do it and also you get used to it. You are feeling extra comfy, and now I’m fairly pleased with the function. I prefer it. I really feel the stress — it’s very, very troublesome.
“After all, I’m not the most effective individual to say if I’m doing a great job or not, however I’m pushing as laborious as I can.”
Whereas credit score must go to Resta and the remainder of the technical group for the work completed as much as the purpose that De Zordo was promoted, the on-track performances will surely counsel he’s doing greater than a great job. The Italian has overseen an improve bundle that had a transparent influence on the British Grand Prix — the second consecutive race Haas secured a top-six end — however he says the influence of final 12 months’s struggles shouldn’t be underestimated because the workforce was in a position to determine the path it must be working in.
“We did quite a lot of work for the race efficiency. I feel to see that this 12 months we’re even quicker in races than we’re in qualifying is sort of satisfying,” De Zordo says. “It means we’re working in the appropriate path … We’re constantly within the battle.
“It’s a contribution of some components, and for those who miss considered one of these then it doesn’t work, even when the remaining is sweet. Final 12 months we misplaced so much in key areas, and after we checked out that, we began to regroup.
“We did quite a lot of work over the winter to enhance in all of the areas we all know we’ve got to enhance and eventually it really works — for those who go trackside it really works — and likewise the best way we work modified. So it’s not solely {hardware} or drivers, it’s additionally method. We perceive much more, and even now it’s much more clear what we’ve got to do to go quicker and transfer ahead.
“We attempt to assault in all places. After all with this regulation the ground is the principle factor, and the way the ground interacts with the remainder of the automotive. So the principle focus is on that, however there are additionally quite a lot of particulars within the automotive that we aren’t utterly pleased with and we all know we will enhance.
“Perhaps it’s not a giant factor, however a element right here and a element there, perhaps you don’t see it within the wind tunnel however you understand if it’s not proper then it may well value you effort and efficiency. So we attempt to put our consideration in all places — large [update] packages but additionally small particulars.”
The change in management at the beginning of this 12 months was adopted by additional concentrate on the intentions of Gene Haas and his dedication to System 1, that have been quickly proven to be as critical as ever. Additional backing adopted for Komatsu as he started to point out that the funding was being properly spent, and De Zordo is in the same place.
A listing of areas that the automotive improvement workforce wish to see a rise in assets for is being put collectively, as a result of the technical director is conscious that the present aggressive image might look very completely different in just some months’ time given the potential of the others on the grid.
“For me the goal have to be to enhance. It should be,” De Zordo says. “I feel there are a few groups this 12 months which are underperforming, and it means if we wish to sustain the tempo subsequent 12 months we should enhance and never think about that another person will perhaps not enhance. So for me the goal have to be to be on the prime of the midfield. To try this, we nonetheless have to make a step.”
The tightening of F1’s midfield has benefited Haas, however De Zordo is aware of the workforce must struggle to maintain its upward trajectory going. Steven Tee/Motorsport Photographs
Like all of these in command of automotive initiatives, subsequent 12 months is combating for consideration amid the looming alternatives that exist when the 2026 laws come into impact. Haas has a current observe document of sturdy begins to new guidelines cycles, and De Zordo has a transparent purpose in thoughts for his first set of latest laws.
“I’ve thought of it a couple of occasions myself, that each change of laws we did properly,” he says. “I feel the most effective outcomes of the final three years have been the primary race of the brand new laws. However I don’t wish to depend on that. We all know that it’s very troublesome, and for a workforce reminiscent of us, with smaller assets, it’s much more troublesome.
“As we method the subsequent problem, the subsequent era of automotive, we should spend the time understanding what the principles are asking, what the chances are. As a result of with these laws we’re doing properly, however on the similar time I notice that another person did higher.
“My private opinion is that one of many large benefits for Purple Bull is taking the appropriate path from the start, and protecting growing in the appropriate path. All the opposite groups at some stage needed to change path, to lose efficiency and regain it, and catch up.
“So to start out from the start, choosing the proper path is key. Even when it’s important to spend some extra time on it, even for those who get to the primary race not as properly ready as you have been up to now however being on the appropriate path, then the efficiency will come finally.”
If the trajectory of 2024 is something to go by, there’s no motive to imagine De Zordo isn’t the individual to information Haas onto that path over the subsequent few years.
