Rafael Camara Signs with Haas F1 Team for 2027 Debut

Haas F1 Team has announced that 21-year-old Brazilian driver Rafael Camara will make his Formula 1 debut with the squad in 2027 after securing a multi-year deal.

Camara, who currently leads the Formula 2 standings for Invicta, won the seat following an extensive evaluation process that included current F2 champion Leonardo Fornaroli, former Alpine driver Jack Doohan, and Haas reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa. The selection involved Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) sessions, including an August test at Portugal's Portimão circuit where Camara set the pace.

Haas Team Principal Ayao Komatsu emphasized that pure performance dictated the final decision:

"I always said we would choose driver by performance. He showed incredible speed. That was the fully overriding factor above everything else. In Portimao, he was just simply outstanding. We really wanted to go for someone who had that natural speed. He showed that he could handle himself very well with not a huge amount of time to learn the car. He showed us more than just raw speed."

Responding to the announcement, Camara expressed gratitude for the opportunity ahead of his jump to motorsport's top tier:

"It's an important step in my career and I want to thank (owner) Gene Haas and Ayao Komatsu for the trust they have placed in me. Now my focus is on preparing myself in the best possible way for this new challenge."

 "There will be a lot to learn, and I'm looking forward to working closely with the team, understanding the car and continuing to develop as a driver."

Camara's rise follows back-to-back junior titles, having won the Formula Regional title in 2024 and the FIA Formula 3 championship with Trident. If he secures the Formula 2 title this season, he will become the first driver since Oscar Piastri to win three consecutive junior titles immediately prior to an F1 promotion.

A member of the Ferrari Driver Academy (FDA) since 2022, Camara holds the record for the most pole positions in a single FIA F3 season with five. 

Speaking on the Brazilian's mature approach and self-belief, Deputy Team Principal of Ferrari Jérôme D’Ambrosio noted:

“When you’ve got a talent like Rafa, this might sound harsh, but it is what you’re expecting and is what you want to see. Our job is to support him in the best possible way so that he can deliver that and can express his talents to the maximum of its capacity.”

“He has a unique way of knowing what he wants and what he needs to perform, which I think is extremely important for a driver. We had some discussions over the winter, which were quite interesting….as an academy, we were suggesting some things, and he said, ‘No, Jerome, this is what I need. This is what I want.’”

> “He knows what he wants or what he needs to perform, and that's a sign of maturity. That's a sign of strength. You have to know what you want, and you have to go for it. You have to believe in yourself, and you need to be objective by yourself also. Rafa has got these qualities.”

Invicta Team Principal James Robinson also praised Camara's teamwork following his victory in Barcelona earlier this year:

“It was a really, really excellent strategy from him and his engineer and executed to perfection.  know there were a few comments on social media at the end of last week about the relationship between Rafa and his engineer. But I think that could not be more wrong in terms of the relationship there. Rafa, his engineer and the whole team have an absolutely magnificent relationship.”

“Rafa's a brilliant part of the team. It’s great to finally convert the undoubted pace into a win and points. We feel very vindicated.”

Camara will replace Esteban Ocon, who will leave Haas at the end of the current season. While Haas has yet to officially confirm its second driver, British racer Oliver Bearman is expected to remain for a third year.

With both Bearman and Camara originating from the Ferrari Driver Academy, Komatsu firmly rejected claims that Haas is acting as a proxy team for Maranello:

"No, honestly, our collaboration with Ferrari gives us the access to those Ferrari Academy drivers. So, Ollie Bearman, because of our relationship with Ferrari, we had a chance to test him in Mexico (in 2024). And then because we got this relationship, we had a chance to test Rafa in Portimao."

"But it's the same as when we took Ollie. At no point Ferrari pressurised us, 'oh, Ayao, can you take Ollie because he's an FDA driver, he needs a race seat, or can you take Rafa because he's going to win F2 and he really needs to be in Formula 1?'"

"None of that. We choose drivers by ourselves completely, by myself and (team owner) Mr Gene Haas. So, yes, they are FDA drivers, their careers have been supported by Ferrari, but they are Haas F1 team drivers and we are under no obligation or pressure to take anyone from Ferrari."

"So that Ferrari B-team thing is just not even a starter."

Addressing potential internal rivalries as both young drivers compete for future seats on the grid, Komatsu added:

"Formula 1, as a whole, is a huge competition. So, a team-mate is the first person you need to beat."

"But both of them, I think they will be really focused on how to get the best out of themselves."

"Because, again, sporting results, beating somebody else, it's not totally under your control. You could be having your best drive, but somebody else can out-drive you, and in the circumstances, you might get beaten."

"But that's not something you can control. What you can control is to get the best out of yourself, absolutely everything, from your team, from yourself. And I believe that's what both of those guys are going to be focused on."

"And both of those guys, both Rafa and Ollie, they are incredibly quick."