Haas ‘cannot ignore’ flexi-wing in bid for?F1 2025 performance gains

Haas brought in Toyota Gazoo Racing as a partner in 2024.
When McLaren introduced its flexi-wing concept in 2024, it was clear that the rest of the Formula 1 world was going to have to follow suit in adopting the technology — including Haas.
In a recent conversation with Ayao Komatsu, Haas‘ team principal, it’s clear that the F1 2025 season will be studded with attempts by other teams to replicate the technology.
Flexi-wings may define F1 2025 season
Additional reporting by Thomas Maher
Flexible front wings are a routine topic of conversation in the Formula 1 world, with the debate about how much wings should be allowed to morph circling back around every other season.
Naturally, a front wing must be designed with some level of tolerance, but in 2024, debate raged about just how much tolerance should be allowed, as well as how to effectively measure a wing’s ability to morph.
In 2024, the front wing of McLaren’s MCL38 appeared far more flexible than those of the competition, and the introduction of a new wing in Miami marked a significant turnaround in the team’s performance.
While many teams raised concerns about the legality of that wing throughout the season, the FIA ultimately determined that it conformed to the technical regulations. As a result, many teams have expressed interest in replicating the tech for their own cars — including Haas F1.
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Speaking to assembled media, including PlanetF1.com, during a January debrief at the Haas headquarters, team boss Ayao Komatsu confirmed that the team has a keen interest in the flexi-wing concept, even though implementing the technology will take time and money to develop and understand.
“We cannot ignore it when it’s such a big performance differentiator,” Komatsu said of the flexi-wing.
“We do the best we can.”
It’s likely that Haas would have preferred to get a head start on developing the flexi-wing in 2024, but Komatsu admits that was impossible “because we had to sort out the basics.”
“But then once we understood the basics, and then once we improved that, we can improve the car in a way that we anticipated.
“That gives people confidence as well, that, okay, this is the right analysis, this is the right methodology. If you follow this one, we can find a good solution, then we can expand, so yes, step by step.”
The flexi-wing development is all part of Haas’ overall developmental goals for the F1 2025 season, which include developing a new monocoque chassis as well as opting to continue refining the Ferrari-provided suspension setup of last season as opposed to adopting the latest developments from the Scuderia’s so-called Project 677.
While Komatsu joined the Haas F1 team early last year, the F1 2025 season will be his first in charge of truly directing the evolution of the incoming machine.
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