Haas is brimming with optimism ahead of the 2025 Formula 1 season, believing its latest challenger, the VF-25, will provide a “massive boost” if its real-world performance aligns with encouraging simulation data.
The American outfit has worked extensively on overcoming the weaknesses of its predecessor, the VF-24, with a particular emphasis on rear-end aerodynamics.
Haas head of aero Davide Paganelli shared his insights into the development process and the team’s high expectations.
“With the help of the performance team, we tried to work on the whole car as a package to be able to solve the issue,” explained Paganelli.
“An indication of this is that we worked a lot on the rear of the car, and particularly the rear wing. I think that we’ve done a really good job on this for 2025.
“We believe the package we’ve designed is a really good one in terms of development. Obviously, we must check if the delivery is what we expect.
If we’re able to see on track what we think we’re discovering in the wind tunnel, I think that we can have a massive boost from the very first race.”
Addressing Inconsistencies
While Haas enjoyed a solid campaign in 2024, recording its best position in F1’s Constructors’ standings since 2018, its car experienced fluctuating performance, with results varying significantly from track to track.
Paganelli believes the VF-25 should provide a more consistent level of competitiveness across different circuits.
©Haas
“We’ve tried to design a car that can adapt to different races as one of the weaknesses we had last year was not being able to be able to perform at the same level at circuits with different characteristics,” the Italian said.
“I think that we did a good job in trying to close this kind of gap as well as providing a configuration that is better in hotter races.
“We know at the beginning of the season we have some hot races, so we should be able to compete.”
A Positive Atmosphere Within Haas
Under the leadership of team principal Ayao Komatsu, Haas has seen significant internal growth, boosting both morale and operational efficiency.
“Last year we grew a lot in terms of design resource and we also gained a lot of confidence that we can definitely do better,” said Paganelli.
“The mood in the design office today is absolutely positive, we can feel the energy here. Last season we were able to demonstrate to ourselves and the rest of the grid that we can do a very good job.
“We consider 2024 a success because we came into this season being last in the championship.
“It was really difficult to be able to deliver something positive with the same resource, but by changing the organisational structure we unlocked the potential of team members, and that was really satisfying.”
Initial Testing Underway
Haas officially ran its VF-25 for the first time last weekend at Silverstone, with new signing Esteban Ocon behind the wheel.
Meanwhile, rookie teammate Oliver Bearman is set to drive the car for the first time on Monday at the Bahrain International Circuit ahead of the crucial pre-season test next week.
With early signs pointing to a strong package, Haas is eager to see how the VF-25 stacks up on track as it aims for further progress in the 2025 campaign.
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