Haas rules out early switch to 2027 car, VF-26 upgrade package coming soon

Haas F1 Team has ruled out an early switch of development resources to its 2027 car, even though the team is last in the 2026 constructors' championship. Team principal Ayao Komatsu insists the immediate priority is to fix the fundamental issues of the VF-26, with an upgraded package set to be fitted 'soon'. Haas started the season promisingly, scoring points in the first three races, including Oliver Bearman's fifth place in China and Esteban Ocon's ninth in Monaco. Since Monaco, however, the team has gone scoreless and has slipped behind midfield rivals such as Alpine and Racing Bulls. Bearman admits it hurts to see Haas become the '10th-best team'. Komatsu believes abandoning the VF-26 too early would be a strategic mistake. He argues that Haas has proven over the past two years that it can develop a car and has a functioning technical department. Confidence and togetherness are key factors. 'Everything has to be perfect, but that's not realistic,' he says. Without solving the root causes, the same weaknesses could all too easily carry over into the 2027 car. The Montreal upgrade exposed a deeper issue: some parts improved raw lap time but made the car more difficult to drive. For a customer team operating under the cost cap, a failed upgrade is doubly costly. Bearman's feedback underlines this. He points out that the downforce difference between Budapest and Spa is similar in scale to a typical upgrade. If Haas can unlock the current car's operating window, that is effectively a 'free upgrade'. 'An upgrade costs many millions, but if you can figure out how to get the car to work, it's for free,' he said. Aston Martin's radical overhaul of the AMR26 has moved the team off the back of the grid, increasing pressure on Haas. Still, Bearman believes Monza, a power-sensitive circuit, should suit Haas and allow it to beat Aston Martin. Even so, one strong weekend does not solve the wider development issue. The decision to keep developing the VF-26 makes engineering sense if the car's problem is design philosophy. But it also means Haas risks falling further behind in the 2027 development race under the new regulations. Monza will provide an early signal on whether the updates address the real weakness or just cover the cracks.