Haas Formula 1 team principal Ayao Komatsu has made an unexpected appearance at Coventry City Football Club.
Komatsu, who took the reins at the American F1 team ahead of the 2024 season, took advantage of a rare gap in the race calendar after the Japanese Grand Prix to return to his old stomping ground.
Speaking previously to Autosport about his passion for football, the Japanese team chief explained how his connection to Coventry City Football Club first blossomed when he lived in the city and started supporting the club along with the locals.
“I used to live in Coventry, and everyone around me supported Coventry City Football Club, so I started supporting them too!” he said at the time.
“I’m pretty sure I was the only Japanese person supporting the club for a long time. But last year, we had our first Japanese player ever in the history of City, Tatsuhiro Sakamoto, and that’s changed. When I was in Tokyo last year before the Japanese Grand Prix, I even saw a random Japanese guy wearing a sky-blue Coventry City top!”
During his visit to the football club, Komatsu took part in training and spoke to Sky Sports F1 about the World Cup. “Oh, it’s amazing. That’d be perfect if Tats is in the team, right? I mean, the way Tats is performing, his work rate here is unbelievable. His mental resilience, I have a huge respect for.
“You can feel it, by coming to training sessions like this, where he’s integrated into the team, how he’s respected, and then the icing on the cake would be him getting selected for Japan, right?”
Haas has had a strong start to the 2026 season. It currently sits fourth in the constructors’ standings after three rounds, with 18 points, behind leaders Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren.
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