Haas Still Far Below F1 Budget Cap, Komatsu Says
NXTbets Pro | Published On: August 1, 2026
Haas budget cap
Haas still cannot operate at Formula 1’s 2026 budget cap of $215 million, and team principal Ayao Komatsu says the team is still chasing more funding to get there. The cap, introduced in 2021 to narrow the spending gap between bigger and smaller teams, covers the 2026 Formula 1 season and leaves out driver salaries, the pay of the sport’s three highest earners and marketing costs. Even with that ceiling in place, Haas remains well behind richer rivals on resources. The team has about 400 employees, while some of its competitors have more than 1,000. Komatsu says the cap has not removed that imbalance. Haas remains short of the workforce and infrastructure that larger teams can bring to a race weekend, and that gap still shows up across the season. The issue is not a lack of ambition. It is a lack of money and the support structure that comes with it. Haas is working to close that divide, but the team is still a long way from operating at the level the cap allows.
Komatsu resource gap
Komatsu described Haas as “fighting with both hands tied” because of the strain caused by its limited resources. He said the central problem is funding, not the talent inside the team. That distinction matters because Haas has shown it can make a strong start when its package works. Komatsu pointed to Oliver Bearman’s results, which pushed Haas to fourth in the standings after two races, as proof that the team can move quickly when the platform is right. The challenge has been sustaining that level. Haas has been outdeveloped and has scored no points in its last five grands prix, a run that reflects the pressure on a smaller operation trying to keep pace with better funded rivals. Komatsu said the team lacks the workforce and resources of those opponents, and that difference shapes everything from development speed to race-day recovery. Haas can make progress, but it has less room for error and less margin to respond when rivals bring upgrades. That leaves the team fighting to keep up on several fronts at once, with no easy fix in sight.
Haas revenue plans
Haas is now working on new revenue streams, but Komatsu said those efforts will take time before they change the team’s position. He has kept the discussion open inside the team, with a focus on facing the problems directly and giving the staff the environment they deserve. That message fits the reality of a team trying to build up from a smaller base while rivals operate with far larger staffs and deeper technical benches. Komatsu did not frame the issue as one of effort or commitment. He framed it as a structural funding gap that keeps Haas below the level the budget cap was meant to make possible. The team still has to solve that problem step by step, and the next step is money coming in through different channels. Until that happens, Haas will keep working with a lighter operation than many of its rivals. Komatsu’s comments make the situation clear. Haas can compete, but it cannot yet compete on equal terms. The team has the right people in place. It still needs the resources to match them.
