U.S. System 1 group Haas has changed its group principal simply six weeks earlier than the beginning of the brand new season.

Haas introduced on Wednesday that Guenther Steiner has left his function of group principal, efficient instantly. His substitute has been named as Ayao Komatsu, previously the group’s director of engineering.

Steiner has led Haas for the reason that group’s 2016 inaugural season however has did not make a lot headway. The group, which runs Ferrari energy models and was based by Gene Haas, co-owner of NASCAR’s Stewart Haas Racing, has did not make a single podium end, and completed final in two out of the final three seasons.

Komatsu has greater than twenty years of expertise in F1, together with at British American Racing and Renault earlier than becoming a member of Haas in 2016.

He shall be tasked primarily with the group’s on-track efficiency. For non-competition areas of focus, reminiscent of administration, finance, and advertising, Haas plans to ascertain a brand new chief working officer function.

Komatsu will not be the one new group principal within the 2024 season. Purple Bull feeder group AlphaTauri final yr named Laurent Mekies because the substitute for retiring veteran Franz Tost.

Groups will begin revealing their 2024 vehicles within the weeks forward. Pre-season testing is scheduled for Feb. 21-23 on the Bahrain Worldwide Circuit, and the primary race of the brand new season, the Bahrain Grand Prix, will happen on the identical location on March 2.