oliver bearman

Haas's Japanese rebel: How Ayao Komatsu transformed F1's smallest team into championship contenders

Ayao Komatsu, Haas's 50-year-old Japanese team principal, has guided the American team to fourth place in the F1 championship after three races — the highest position ever held by a US team. A rebellious figure who left Japan at 14 to escape cultural conformity, Komatsu studied at Warwick and Loughborough, played rugby in Coventry, and became a devoted Coventry City fan. After a decade with Haas and two years as team principal, he has transformed the smallest team on the grid through a philosophy of empowering staff to take risks, notably trusting rookie Oliver Bearman despite criticism.