Gene Haas drives F1 car on team’s 10-year milestone at Goodwood

Team principal Ayao Komatsu also took part in the run at Goodwood, revealed it took some persuasion to get the 72-year-old team owner to agree: “We had to talk him into it a little bit,” he admitted. But after personalized tutoring ahead of Goodwood, Gene Haas relented.

The event celebrated multiple milestones, including 75 years of Formula 1, the legacy of legendary designer Gordon Murray, and Haas’s 200th Grand Prix, which took place in Canada earlier this year. Komatsu said: “This wouldn’t have been possible a few years ago, because we didn’t have a test car programme, only the current race cars. Now, using our 2023 car, everything came together perfectly.”

Haas completed a private test at Silverstone’s Stowe Circuit ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix to prepare for the Goodwood run. “Everything went smoothly, and I could see his confidence grow with every lap,” Komatsu said. “By the end he couldn’t stop smiling. It was a fabulous moment.”

The idea was sparked earlier in the year. “Around Miami, I said to Gene: ‘It’s been ten years for us in Formula 1 and Goodwood wants to do something special. I think you should drive the car yourself,’” Komatsu recalled. “He was a bit nervous, but I told him- after all the support he’s given, and all the work he’s done—he deserved this moment more than anyone. And he said yes.”

Komatsu praised Haas’s commitment to the team, noting: “There’s something special about a team owner who’s truly passionate. It’s not the same as when a team is owned by an investment firm. Gene lives this.”