"They've lost a leader of people in Guenther Steiner" - David Croft reacts to Haas replacing Steiner with Ayao Komatsu
F1 commentator David Croft feels Guenther Steiner's departure is a major loss for Haas and that new team principal, Ayao Komatsu, will have a massive job on his hands. Steiner was recently removed from the team principal's role and was replaced by Komatsu, who previously worked as a trackside engineering director for the American team.
Discussing Haas' prospects on the Sky Sports F1 podcast, Croft said they badly need hefty financial support from anywhere possible since they are not operating way below the cost cap itself. He said:
"I don't know; do they go forward? Well, I don't see how they do unless investment is made and that money is given to the team. They're not operating anywhere near at the limits of the cost cap."
The F1 commentator further claimed that the Kannapolis-based outfit isn't moving forward. Furthermore, he believes that the team just lost a real motivator in Guenther Steiner.
Croft also wished Ayao Komatsu all the best for his future endeavors.
"Haas are not doing the old adage that if you stand still in Formula 1, you go backwards," he said. "They're not even really standing still; they're kind of just not investing, and they've lost a real motivator and a leader of people in Guenther Steiner."
"I wish Ayao Kamatsu all the best," he added. "But can you honestly see a scenario at this moment that Haas aren't the team that will finish bottom at the end of the season?"
Gene Haas on Guenther Steiner being replaced by Ayao Komatsu
The Haas F1 team recently shared a press release announcing Guenther Steiner's departure from the team and Ayao Komatsu becoming the new team principal. In it, team owner Gene Haas thanked Steiner for all his efforts and welcomed Komatsu.
“I’d like to start by extending my thanks to Guenther Steiner for all his hard work over the past decade and I wish him well for the future. Moving forward as an organization it was clear we need to improve our on-track performances. In appointing Ayao Komatsu as Team Principal we fundamentally have engineering at the heart of our management,” Gene Haas was quoted as saying by the press release.
The Kannapolis-based outfit's owner wants to push the team forward in F1. They finished dead last in the 2023 F1 constructors' championship with only 12 points.