Ayao Komatsu hits back at 'Ferrari B-team' claims after Haas sign second Ferrari junior
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Ayao Komatsu has rejected claims that Haas is turning into a Ferrari B-team now that it has signed a second Ferrari Driver Academy driver. The Haas team principal said Ferrari never pressured the team over its line-up, and he dismissed the B-team idea as "just not even a starter".
Last week, Haas announced that 21-year-old Brazilian Rafael Camara will drive for the team in 2027 on a multi-year contract. He replaces Esteban Ocon, who will leave at the end of this season. While not yet confirmed, it is expected that Camara will partner Oliver Bearman, who is also a Ferrari Driver Academy product, and the prospect of an all-Ferrari junior line-up that has prompted questions about who really runs the American team.
Komatsu: Ferrari connection only gives Haas access
Asked whether the signing could change how people see Haas. Komatsu replied that the partnership with Ferrari simply gives the team access to the academy's drivers. Because of that link, Haas could test Bearman in Mexico in 2024 and Camara at Portimao this summer.
He said the decisions themselves are made at Haas alone, by him and team owner Gene Haas. He also said Ferrari never lobbied him to give a race seat to either driver.
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So, yes, they are FDA drivers, their careers have been supported by Ferrari, but they are Haas F1 team drivers and we are under no obligation or pressure to take anyone from Ferrari. So that Ferrari B-team thing is just not even a starter.- Ayao Komatsu
Why the paddock sees a sister team
The doubts go beyond the two drivers as Haas has a technical partnership with the Italian team. Haas buys its engines, gearboxes and other technical components from Ferrari and has a design office inside Maranello.
Both Bearman and Camara remain tied to Ferrari and hope to drive for the Scuderia in the future, which means Haas would be developing two drivers whose long-term goal is a seat in Maranello.
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Toyota's candidate missed out too
Haas's other major partner also had a stake in the decision. Haas has a technical partnership with Toyota alongside its long-standing Ferrari relationship, and Toyota-backed Ryo Hirakawa was one of the drivers Haas assessed for the seat, along with Camara, Jack Doohan and McLaren reserve Leonardo Fornaroli.
Komatsu flew to Tokyo to explain the decision to Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda in person before Camara's contract was signed and that Toyota's ambition had been clear from the start.
From the moment we started talks with Toyota in 2024, I knew Akio Toyoda wanted a Toyota driver racing in 2027.- Ayao Komatsu
Komatsu said he had told Toyoda from the outset that Haas would choose the fastest driver, and that Toyoda was "completely happy with that".
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Haas and Ferrari face the media in Austin
F1 heads next to the United States Grand Prix in Austin on 23 to 25 October, where Haas and Ferrari will both face the media again. Komatsu has already set the tone for what happens inside his own garage.
Formula 1, as a whole, is a huge competition. So, a team-mate is the first person you need to beat.- Ayao Komatsu
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