Ayao Komatsu drives historic F1 car before Italian GP – Haas searches for its own voice

At the Monza pit area, Haas F1 team principal Ayao Komatsu climbed into the 2026 Footwork Arrows A11B, powered by a 3.5-litre naturally aspirated Cosworth DFR V8. The act looked like simple PR, but it carried a deeper message after Haas scored points in five of the first six races, sat seventh with 21 points, then went through a scoring drought. Komatsu called the Zandvoort weekend frustrating and said Haas would bring another upgrade package to Monza. Practice told a strange story: Ollie Bearman was eighth in FP2, while Esteban Ocon spent most sessions between 17th and 18th. The half-second to 0.8-second gap between teammates suggests the VF-26 has a narrow operating window or only responds to one driving style. The historic A11B was developed from Ross Brawn's A11. By driving it himself, Komatsu wanted his team to reconnect with the raw atmosphere of racing. This cultural signal may matter as much as the upgrade list. The car could need team unity as much as new aerodynamics. The Monza weekend will show whether Bearman can turn practice pace into points, and whether Haas has finally found stability again.