Ayao Komatsu

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Komatsu began his motorsport career in 2003 as a tyre engineer for British American Racing, staying with the Brackley team for two seasons. In 2006 he moved to Renault as a performance engineer, starting on the test team before being promoted to the race team working with drivers Nelson Piquet Jr., Romain Grosjean and Vitaly Petrov. After Mark Slade departed at the start of the 2011 season, Komatsu was promoted to Petrov's race engineer, working with him for one year before partnering with the returning Grosjean for 2012. Grosjean and Komatsu formed a close bond, scoring nine podium finishes and fighting for race wins at the end of 2013. After a disappointing 2014, Komatsu was promoted to chief race engineer at Lotus, helping Grosjean and the Enstone team score a podium at the 2015 Belgian Grand Prix. When Grosjean left for the newly established Haas F1 Team, Komatsu followed him, becoming trackside engineering director for the American outfit in 2016. Komatsu became team principal for Haas on 10 January 2024, after the departure of Guenther Steiner. In his first season as team principal, Haas finished seventh in the 2024 Constructors' Standings.

In Their Own Story

The garage at Spa-Francorchamps in 2015 was electric. As chief race engineer at Lotus, Komatsu had helped Grosjean and the Enstone team score a podium at the Belgian Grand Prix — a moment that capped years of climbing the engineering ladder. From his start as a tyre engineer at BAR in 2003, through performance engineering at Renault working with drivers like Piquet Jr. and Petrov, to becoming Petrov's race engineer in 2011, Komatsu's path was one of steady, earned promotion. The bond he formed with Grosjean from 2012 produced nine podium finishes and genuine race win fights by late 2013. When Grosjean moved to the newly established Haas team for 2016, Komatsu followed as trackside engineering director. Eight years later, on 10 January 2024, he became team principal after Guenther Steiner's departure. His first season saw Haas finish seventh in the Constructors' Standings.

Reader's Guide

Ayao Komatsu's Formula 1 career began in 2003 as a tyre engineer for British American Racing, where he spent two seasons. In 2006 he joined Renault as a performance engineer, working his way from the test team to the race team alongside drivers Nelson Piquet Jr., Romain Grosjean and Vitaly Petrov. A key promotion came at the start of the 2011 season when he became Petrov's race engineer after Mark Slade departed. He then partnered with Grosjean for 2012, forming a close bond that yielded nine podium finishes and race win challenges by late 2013. After a difficult 2014, Komatsu was promoted to chief race engineer at Lotus, helping Grosjean and the team secure a podium at the 2015 Belgian Grand Prix. When Grosjean joined the newly established Haas F1 Team in 2016, Komatsu followed as trackside engineering director. On 10 January 2024, he became team principal after Guenther Steiner's departure. In his debut season as team principal, Haas finished seventh in the 2024 Constructors' Standings. Outside of motorsport, Komatsu enjoys rock climbing as a hobby. He also authored a book in Japanese titled 'エンジニアが明かすF1の世界' (The World of F1 Revealed by an Engineer), published in 2019.

Did You Know?

• Komatsu moved to the United Kingdom in 1995 to study at Loughborough University, where he earned both a Bachelor's degree in Automotive Engineering and a PhD in Vehicle Dynamics and Control.
• He has supported association football club Coventry City since 1995.
• Komatsu married a woman named Sachie in 2010.
• He authored a book in Japanese titled 'The World of F1 Revealed by an Engineer', published in 2019.
• Komatsu does rock climbing as a hobby.