Haas crew principal Ayao Komatsu says there was an enormous missed alternative within the Azerbaijan Grand Prix regardless of Ollie Bearman scoring some extent on his debut for the crew.
Bearman began from tenth place and ran competitively early on earlier than fading within the opening stint, then being concerned in a struggle with Franco Colapinto and Lewis Hamilton that ultimately resulted in a P10 end. The rookie’s efficiency was rewarded with some extent when Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez crashed late on, however Komatsu believes a top-six end was a chance given the automotive’s tempo had the crew executed the race extra successfully.
“It’s actually combined, we must always have completed higher,” Komatsu advised SiriusXM. “We had actually good tempo, and sure issues had been lower than excellent so we solely got here away with a P10, however in my thoughts we must always have completed forward of [Alex] Albon not less than, presumably combating in opposition to [Fernando] Alonso.
“To start out off with, the primary stint Nico [Hulkenberg] was dong very well and Ollie wasn’t doing so nicely, however as a result of he was principally over-managing the tires. Sure he might have completed higher, however from the crew’s facet we must always have completed a lot higher – Nico’s knowledge – to inform Ollie ‘the tires are higher than anticipated, you possibly can push extra’. So principally Ollie misplaced race time for no cause in the course of the first stint.
“That’s why we needed to swap the drivers in the course of the first stint, which Ollie wasn’t too completely happy about however I completely perceive that the crew ought to have completed a greater job within the first place in order that gave him an opportunity to up his tempo a bit extra.
“Then within the second stint on the laborious tire, each drivers had wonderful tempo. Actually good tempo. After all we had been going to the tip and Colapinto and Alonso’s lap occasions, we had been catching them fairly simply. So if Nico might be there and if Ollie had correct first stint tempo ranging from the place he was, he would have been a step higher. So we actually ought to have had an opportunity to beat Alonso and Albon as nicely.”
Whereas there was a transparent lack of time for Bearman within the opening a part of the race, Komatsu says it was Hulkenberg who ought to have scored extra closely however for numerous incidents late on that rapidly caught the crew out.
“Then with Nico, simply earlier than the final yellow flag he hit the wall on the Flip 15 entry with the fitting entrance tire. Then he by accident pressed the in lap button, and he didn’t understand. So in fact he felt the automotive wasn’t proper as a result of it wasn’t in timed lap mode, so he had much less energy.
“So he thought he had a puncture, he panicked, and our communication to unravel that drawback wasn’t environment friendly sufficient. So whereas he sorted himself out, he misplaced place to Colapinto, which is so irritating as a result of he had one thing like three seconds – a reasonably snug lead. He shouldn’t have misplaced that.
“Then when the Sainz shunt occurred, Nico was nonetheless mentally recovering from that and he hit one thing large in that yellow part, and when he got here out of that yellow part and noticed the inexperienced he wasn’t prepared, so Hamilton already overtook him. So he was out of the factors.
“We must always have not less than come away with 4 factors, minimal, but when we had completed higher with Ollie earlier it could have been extra. Nice that we scored one level, however I really feel like an enormous missed alternative as nicely. The midfield is so tight, you’ve obtained to be excellent, you can’t make these errors. In order that why it’s a bit combined.”
