Haas\u2019 team principal Ayao Komatsu said the teamwork between driver and engineer has never been more important after the first test day in Barcelona.<\/p>\n
Teams are out in Spain for a pre-season shakedown and while the media has been shut out, the data collected during these laps will be key to development steps ahead.<\/p>\n
Haas boss reflects on first day of testing in Barcelona<\/p>\n
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google<\/a> for news you can trust.<\/p>\n 2026 regulation changes have brought an increased sense of intrigue to pre-season testing as fans look to get any clue as to who could begin the season on top. For the engineers, laps completed is a more important metric than lap time.<\/p>\n Haas has made a positive start to the year, following up a shakedown at Fiorano on Saturday with a smooth day of running in Barcelona.<\/p>\n When asked how different the rules felt, Komatsu predicted teamwork is even more crucial.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not something drivers can do themselves,\u201d Komatsu said of car development. \u201cIt\u2019s not something engineers can sort it by themselves. So teamwork is even more important now.<\/p>\n \u201cSo engineers and drivers working together, which is what this sport is all about, but it\u2019s a huge challenge. I think you will see lots of evolution throughout the testing, throughout the season, which would be interesting for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n As for the team\u2019s testing, Haas reportedly completed the most laps of any team with Esteban Ocon behind the wheel for 154 rotations, leaving Komatsu pleased with the progress.<\/p>\n \u201cIn terms of mileage we managed to do, it was a really good but behind the scenes, it\u2019s a huge, huge amount of work.<\/p>\n More on the first day of Barcelona testing from PlanetF1.com<\/p>\n * F1 2026 testing: All you need to know from Day 1 in Barcelona<\/a> \u201cI\u2019m sure it\u2019s same for everyone, but to even make the shakedown and then do the full mileage on the shakedown was a huge task.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was Saturday and then coming from Fiorano on Saturday to get us ready to run on Monday morning here was very, very good.<\/p>\n \u201cSo now we can start looking a bit more in the details. But with this brand new regulation, it\u2019s very, very important to run and then every time we go out, we learn something new.\u201d<\/p>\n Solving issues is the aim of the game for these first few runs and Komatsu suggested that with every lap they complete, another problem is discovered and solved.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s very satisfying that we hit our target of doing the shakedown and then being ready for day one of this Barcelona test. So that bit is very, very satisfying.<\/p>\n \u201cBut now that we are running, we are discovering, let\u2019s say, issues, problems you need to solve.<\/p>\n \u201cBut that\u2019s what we are here for, right? So at least we are running, that means we are gathering data, we are identifying issues that we need to solve. Obviously, we just got started, but I\u2019m very, very happy how we started.\u201d<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n
* F1 results: Unofficial testing times from Day 1 (Barcelona)<\/a>
* Red Bull and Ferrari singled out for early reliability strides in Barcelona<\/a><\/p>\n