Haas team principal Ayao Komastu explains reason behind double Monaco disqualification

Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu explained why Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen were disqualified from qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix. Both drivers reached Q2 and were set to start 12th and 15th on the grid. 

However, they were disqualified three hours and 15 minutes after qualifying due to a technical infringement. An examination revealed that "the uppermost rear wing element adjustable positions exceeded the maximum allowed under [the regulations] of 85mm," as stated in a stewards' report.

Haas explained to the stewards that their new rear wings for the weekend hadn't been thoroughly checked, leading to an "inadvertent error" in setting the wing flap gap. Komatsu acknowledged the mistake, citing a basic communication failure, and stated there could be no excuses.

‘There was lack of communication’, says Komastu

Explaining the issue Haas team principal said, "The issue is the wing was designed a slightly different way, and there was a lack of communication from design intention to the guys who do the legality checks on the trackside," said Komatsu.

"Those guys didn't realise this change in the concept, where is going to be the limit, which is both extremities. In previous wings, the limit was always around the centre. So they checked it in the same way. It's no excuse, regardless of any information, you should be checking across the whole span. But they just concentrated on the centre. The last bit, on both extremities, it was still wide."

"From a design intention, with the way we should have set up the wing, it should have been at the maximum with both extremities, so the spines are more closed in an open condition," he added.

"If the designers had made it clear the design was slightly different from the wings we'd been using, and to check it this way, that would have helped. At the same time, even without that information, trackside legality check guys should have checked the whole legal surface. There's no performance gain, absolutely zero, but that's not the point. The cars should be legal."