Research notes
Ayao Komatsu was born in Tokyo in 1976, and went to the UK in 1995 to study at Loughborough University, earning a BEng in Automotive Engineering (1999) and a PhD in Vehicle Dynamics and Control. In 2003 he entered F1 as a Tyre Engineer at BAR, later moving to Renault/Lotus as Performance Engineer, Race Engineer, and Chief Race Engineer. In 2016 he joined the newly formed Haas team alongside Grosjean as Director of Track Engineering, was promoted to Team Principal in January 2024, and that same year led Haas to its best Constructors' finish (seventh) since 2018.
Yes, a textbook engineer-type team principal
Both F1.com and Haas's appointment announcement state that he rose from Chief Race Engineer to Director of Engineering before becoming Team Principal.