BEYOND THE GRID: Ayao Komatsu on his journey from Tokyo to Haas Team Principal

Ayao Komatsu has been on a remarkable journey, from dreaming of working in Formula 1 as a teenager in Tokyo, to becoming the new Haas Team Principal. In the latest episode of Beyond The Grid he tells us his gripping tale on his way to the top of the team.

Throughout his chat with host Tom Clarkson, Komatsu shares fascinating anecdotes of his father’s experiences as a political prisoner, and also his own challenges he faced when he left Japan for England.

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He also explains how he engineered his way through university to a career in F1 as well as his relationship with his family.

The influence of Japanese F1 hero Takuma Sato was also key for Komatsu's career, and he explains why he once wanted to be a journalist before embarking on the pathway that has taken him to his current position.

There's also time to chat about how he's transforming Haas, after replacing Guenther Steiner in the winter, with the team already enjoying points-scoring finishes in Saudi Arabia and Australia so far this year.

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To listen to this week’s episode of Beyond The Grid, simply hit go on the audio player above or click here to listen via your preferred podcasting platform.