How Did Rafael Camara Win the Haas Seat?

Rafael Camara, impressed by Haas's test performance in Portimao and securing Ocon's vacated seat for himself for 2027, has officially guaranteed his rise to Formula 1. The 21-year-old Brazilian, groomed through the Ferrari academy, convinced team principal Ayao Komatsu by outpacing rivals such as Fornaroli and Hirakawa during the three-night testing process.

Why and How Was Rafael Camara Brought to Haas?

Haas evaluated four drivers while filling the seat for 2027: Camara, Leonardo Fornaroli, Ryo Hirakawa, and Jack Doohan. The decisive stage was the three-day TPC test held in Portimao in August 2026. Camara, Fornaroli, and Hirakawa were tested simultaneously, while Doohan underwent a separate evaluation. The result was quite clear, according to Komatsu.

He was clearly the fastest in Portimao. He showed incredible speed. That was the decisive factor above everything else.

Komatsu noted that all the candidates had financial backing, while emphasizing that Camara was chosen purely on performance . The team principal underlined once again the weight of Portimao in the process, saying, "Without that test, we certainly would not be here today."

The Gap Narrowed in Jerez, But Portimao Made the Difference

Portimao alone is not the whole story. Hirakawa's result in Budapest earned him a second TPC test; in the two-day work carried out in Jerez, there was almost no difference left between Hirakawa and Fornaroli. That week, Komatsu hinted at how difficult the selection was, saying "I'm not eliminating anyone." However, Camara's ability to manage himself in the first test without much time to learn the car, and to go beyond raw speed, made the team's decision easier.

What Does Esteban Ocon's Departure Mean for Haas?

Ocon will leave the team at the end of 2026 after two disappointing seasons; the departure was officially confirmed on September 30, 2026. This created a gap that Haas needed to fill quickly. The team plans to place Oliver Bearman alongside Camara in 2027; Komatsu stated, "We intend to continue with Ollie, it is just a matter of clarifying the timing and some details," but this is not yet official.

Bearman, like Camara, is a member of the Ferrari academy, and Ferrari has a strong relationship with Haas through power unit and parts supply. This situation appears to be a natural part of the strategy of working with young drivers groomed through the academy.

Camara's Career Path: Uninterrupted Rise from FRECA to F2

The Brazilian driver joined the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2022 and climbed up by winning each category in quick succession. This triple triumph is cited as one of the most tangible justifications for his promotion to F1.

• 2024: FRECA champion
• 2025: F3 champion, clinching it with one round to spare and as Trident's third consecutive champion
• 2026: Leading the standings in F2 with Invicta Racing

There is a remarkable detail in the motorsport community: if Camara manages to win FRECA, F3 and F2 back to back, he will be the only driver to have done so. In F3 he took five poles and four feature race victories; equaling Arvid Lindblad for the highest win percentage in F3 history.

2026 F2 Championship Race: Where Does Camara Stand?

Returning to the top of the standings by winning Feature Race 2 in Baku, Camara sits near the front of the championship table. However, due to uncertainty surrounding the Qatar and Abu Dhabi rounds, the title is not yet confirmed.

Haas signed without waiting for the championship to be mathematically sealed, which is interpreted as a sign of the team's confidence in Camara.

Camara's Strengths and Weaknesses

Invicta team boss James Robinson made a striking assessment of Camara's talent: "I have never come across a driver with so much natural ability. He has a feel for the tires unlike anything I have ever seen." This praise, coming from a team that carried Bortoleto and Fornaroli to F2 titles, is not to be taken lightly. Robinson said, "I would be very, very surprised if he does not race in F1," stating he is 100% certain that Camara is ready for F1.

Talent in Numbers

Camara's average qualifying result in F2 in 2026 is 2.54, compared to 3.77 for Dunne and 5.77 for Tsolov. That means the best average performance by a rookie since 2021 champion Oscar Piastri. Camara has not yet taken part in an F1 practice session, but he had his first F1 experience with the SF-25 with Ferrari and completed numerous TPC laps for Haas.

Where the Finished Product Is Not There Yet

It is also undeniable that Camara has made race mistakes despite his raw speed. In Montreal, he retired through his own error with a dive bomb into a closing door on Beganovic. In Monaco, he nearly threw away a certain victory due to a tire warming issue on the pit exit lap and a lock-up in Turn 1. At Madring, he received a 10-second penalty for sending Goethe into the wall after a bold move on Tsolov; in the Baku sprint, he was also given a 10-second penalty for contact with Mari Boya. Still, he took inspirational victories in Barcelona and Spa. Robinson's observation that "Rafa needed to cut out his silly mistakes" gains even more meaning when compared with Fornaroli making no major errors at all in 2025.

This picture shows that Camara presents a profile that is not yet perfect but with clear peak potential. Haas appears to be knowingly taking that risk.

How Decisive Can TPC Tests Be?

There is a truth everyone who has spent some time in this business knows: TPC tests are limited programs run with older cars. Teams this year up to 20 days, while race drivers get a total of up to 1000 km can test. Measuring a driver's true potential within these limits is by no means easy; however, in Haas's assessment, Portimao was such a clear differentiator that Komatsu considered it sufficient on its own for the selection.

In the past, young drivers were acclimatized to F1 through official practice sessions; now, TPC tests have largely taken over that role. Although Camara has not yet participated in an F1 practice session, he has accumulated serious mileage with Ferrari and Haas. This will allow him to enter his rookie season in 2027 better prepared.

Conclusion: Take the Risk, or Wait?

In choosing Camara, Haas made a move that is both safe and ambitious. Leading the standings, with an uninterrupted career path and test performance ahead of his rivals; on the other hand, his race errors have not yet been fully eliminated. There were also less risky options such as Fornaroli and Hirakawa, but as Komatsu emphasized, the decision was based on pure performance. This pairing, which will appear alongside Bearman in 2027, will be the most concrete step in Haas's youth strategy. The fate of the F2 championship, meanwhile, will be decided in Qatar and Abu Dhabi; but Camara's F1 ticket has already been punched.

Sources

• Ferrari junior Rafael Camara promoted to F1 with Haas for 2027
• Rafael Câmara Confirmed at TGR Haas F1 Team for 2027
• Brazilian Camara to join Haas for F1 debut in 2027
• What you need to know about F1's new driver - Rafael Camara
• Inside the test that won Rafa Câmara a Haas F1 seat
• Komatsu says Camara's performance in shootout test won the Haas team over
• Rafael Camara to replace Esteban Ocon at Haas for F1 2027
• 2026 F2 championship standings after Baku Feature Race 2