Haas confirm British GP upgrade package

Esteban Ocon's points finish in Austria highlights Haas's potential to compete for a higher position in the constructors' championship, making them a team to watch for punters anticipating a strong showing at Silverstone with upcoming updates that could enhance their performance.

Esteban Ocon recovered from a poor qualifying to score points in Austria, largely thanks to a perfectly executed strategy from Haas. As the twelfth round of 2025 approaches, Haas look to hold their ground in the development race.

Ayao Komatsu outlines next Haas updates. Haas were one of the first teams to bring significant updates in 2025, introducing a new floor to the VF-25 in Japan. The American team responded instantly to the VF-25’s limitations – demonstrating their ability to be aggressive with mid-season updates. This is a continuation of what Haas demonstrated last season, with Ayao Komatsu overseeing a significant turnaround in the team’s development capabilities.

Since the Japanese GP, however, other midfield teams have brought substantial updates. Aston Martin and Sauber are the most obvious examples of successful mid-season packages in 2025 so far. In fairness to Haas, they have managed to hold their own amidst the improvements of others across the field. Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman regularly find themselves in the top 10 on Sunday – regardless of their qualifying position.

Still, in order to maintain and improve their relative performance, upgrades are essential. This will be particularly true this weekend in Silverstone, where most teams are scheduled to bring updates. Speaking last weekend, Ayao Komatsu summarised the team’s Austrian GP and scheduled changes for the VF-25:

“On Ollie’s side his first stint on softs was good, and the pit stop was good.
“But it was the second stint on hard tires where he just had no pace and fell backward. We don’t understand that yet, so we need to look into it.
“It’s good we scored a point but our competitors scored more so we have some catching up to do in Silverstone.
“We have a new package coming for the next race, so we need to get the maximum out of it.
“A tenth makes a big difference, so we need to be on it.”

Haas aim to maintain operational efficiency. It would be unfair to suggest that Haas were completely at loss before Ayao Komatsu became team principal. Before the Japanese engineer took the helm, Haas enjoyed some competitive seasons in the midfield – including 2022.

However, there can be no denying Komatsu’s impact on the team’s efficiency. This applies to both on the track and away from it. As demonstrated several times this year, the American squad are not afraid to experiment with strategy. Their willingness to take calculated risk has paid off, which is reflected in their position (7th) in the constructors Championship.

With VCARB only seven points ahead and Williams gradually losing their midfield supremacy from earlier rounds, Haas can be optimistic of fighting for 5th in the standings. Of course, the next three days of racing in Silverstone will be integral to these aspirations.

Haas, like most teams, will divert their focus to the 2026 regulations imminently. This means that updates in the coming weeks could determine the pecking order of what remains in 2025. In this sense, Haas will hope to replicate the success of last year’s mid-season development with their Silverstone package.

Esteban Ocon recovered from a poor qualifying to score points in Austria, largely thanks to a perfectly executed strategy from Haas. As the twelfth round of 2025 approaches, Haas look to hold their ground in the development race.

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