Ayao Komatsu believes that Formula 1 should be cautious with new regulation changes towards 2027. After the changes to the regulations in Miami, there are already talks behind the scenes about bigger adjustments to the power unit. The Haas team principal fears that additional changes to the engine will ultimately lead to higher costs for the teams. “If this will cost each team an extra five or ten million, then that is certainly not the right direction for us,” Komatsu says.
Ayao Komatsu emphasizes that Formula 1 must prevent the budget cap from being raised again for 2027. Especially smaller teams like Haas could suffer financially from that. According to the Haas team principal, such changes automatically bring additional costs. Teams have to redevelop various parts of the car, including the chassis. “What I would like is for the FIA and F1 management to listen to the teams. It is ridiculously expensive. If this will cost each team an extra five or ten million, then that is certainly not the right direction for us. We need to reduce costs in every area,” Komatsu says during a media moment in Canada.
‘Do not raise’
To make the changes towards 2027 possible, there is a proposal on the table to raise the budget cap once. Teams could then make chassis adjustments without affecting the development of the current car. However, Komatsu sees little value in that plan. “I do not want to raise the budget cap. It is already much higher this year. If there is again a reason to raise it by two or five million, then it is no longer a budget cap,” the Japanese states.
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Still, the Haas team principal understands that some adjustments are necessary, especially when safety is involved. He also does not necessarily see changes that improve racing as negative. “I think it depends on the extent of the changes. That is also what we are trying to do this year. When we changed the regulations for Miami, we wanted to do that without directly disadvantaging teams that had it well sorted. We mainly look at safety issues and sensitive parts of the regulations, which prevent drivers from always pushing fully in qualifying,” Komatsu concludes.
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