Haas rejects 2027 switch as it fights to fix VF-26

Haas has no intention of waving the white flag on its troubled 2026 Formula 1 campaign and turning its attention prematurely to next year’s machine, despite admitting that the VF-26 has slipped to the back of the midfield.

The American team enjoyed another encouraging start to a season, scoring points in each of the opening three races and celebrating a standout fifth place for Oliver Bearman in China.

But that early momentum has steadily evaporated as rivals have developed faster and Haas has struggled to make its inconsistent car behave predictably.

The result is a painful reality: Haas has not scored since Esteban Ocon’s ninth place finish in Monaco all the way back in June.

Fixing the problem, not abandoning it

For team principal Ayao Komatsu, however, simply abandoning the VF-26 would amount to sweeping the underlying problem under the carpet. Haas needs to understand why its development has stalled — and demonstrate that it can solve those problems.

“So, the last two years, I think we proved to ourselves and the outside world that we can develop the car. We've got the people, the technical department is functioning,” Komatsu said ahead of Zandvoort.

“For us to have any remote chance of keeping up with the others, because of the size of our team, everything has to be perfect. But that's just not realistic in anyone's life. And the Montreal upgrade wasn't perfect.

“Some bits worked, some bits made the car faster, but some bits wasn't perfect. Actually, [it] made the drivability more difficult as well.

“So, we're learning from those lessons. And what's the objective for the rest of the season? For me, it's the same as the last two years. We've got to prove to ourselves that we can identify the key issues, we can solve the issues and then put it on the car to move forward.”

That philosophy explains why Haas is resisting the temptation to abandon 2026 and concentrate exclusively on its 2027 challenger.

“If you say, OK, fine, ‘26, we started well, but tail off, it's the first year of regulation. Fine, let's move on, start '27. We haven't solved the fundamental issue. If we do that, it doesn't give confidence to people,” the Japanese engineer explained,” added the Japanese engineer.

“They've got to believe in themselves. One of the main driving factors in the way they're tackling now, together as a team, is the confidence and togetherness they've gained from the last two years. That's why we are developing out of it.”

Monza becomes another test

That determination will be put into practice at Monza, where Haas is bringing another package of upgrades for the VF-26.

“This weekend, we’re bringing another upgrade package to the car,” Komatsu said. “So again, it’s critical we maximise our practice time, evaluate our data comprehensively, and strive to keep pushing in the midfield.”

But Oliver Bearman is acutely aware that bolting new parts onto the car does not automatically make it faster.

“We have new parts coming,” the Briton said. “But we're very sceptical in some ways.

“We have discrepancies in a race like Budapest. We have discrepancies of downforce equivalent to the size of an upgrade. If I have the car that I had in Spa, here [in Zandvoort], it's like putting an upgrade on the car.

“An upgrade, I don't know how much it costs, but many millions. If we can figure out how to get our car to work, it's for free. If we get the upgrade but it doesn't perform, then it's like not getting it. There's many factors at play, it's a big challenge.”

• Read also: Komatsu reveals why Haas is in ‘no rush’ over 2027 line-up

Bearman nevertheless sees an opportunity to claw back a position at Monza, with Aston Martin potentially vulnerable at the power-hungry Italian circuit.

“We expect to beat [Aston Martin] in Monza, where it's a power track,” he said. “But in Hungary, they were faster than us, or at least more consistent. Those are the facts in terms of that. That's where we are.

“It really hurts to be sitting here saying that, but that's the case.”

For Haas, then, Monza is about more than points. It is another opportunity to prove that the VF-26 can still be understood, repaired and developed – and that the lessons learned in its struggles can ultimately make the team stronger when 2027 arrives.

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