Rafael Camara: Who is Ferrari junior making F1 debut with Haas in 2027?
Rafael Camara has been chosen as Esteban Ocon's replacement at Haas in Formula 1 next year.
It had already been confirmed that Ocon would be leaving Haas upon the expiry of his contract at the end of 2026 before Camara's signing was announced.
The 30-year-old Frenchman was narrowly beaten by his rookie team-mate Ollie Bearman last year, but the performance gap between the pair this season has noticeably widened during a difficult 2026 season.
There had been speculation over who would take Ocon's seat but this has now been officially confirmed. But just who is Camara?
Who is Rafael Camara?
Camara is a 21-year-old Brazilian who currently sits top of the Formula 2 standings in his rookie season.
He has had an impressive rise through the single-seater ranks, winning the 2024 Formula Regional European Championship before going on to be crowned Formula 3 champion at the first attempt in 2025.
Camara has taken three feature race victories so far in his rookie F2 campaign and is seven points clear of Red Bull-backed Nikola Tsolov with two scheduled rounds remaining.
Should he go on to take this year’s F2 crown, Camara would do something only five other drivers have previously achieved in winning F3 (or its predecessor GP3) and F2 (or GP2) in back-to-back seasons.
F1 drivers Charles Leclerc, George Russell, Oscar Piastri, and Gabriel Bortoleto, as well as McLaren reserve driver Leonardo Fornaroli have all claimed consecutive titles in the feeder series.
Ferrari's next F1 prospect?
Camara is also a member of the Ferrari young driver academy.
Ferrari enjoys close ties with Haas through a technical collaboration and the American outfit will field a line-up consisting of two Ferrari juniors next year.
Camara recently took part in a private test for Haas at the end of August at Portimao alongside Fornaroli, Ryo Hirakawa and Jack Doohan, other drivers who Haas had been evaluating for 2027.
Camara's performance in the TPC test was a key factor in him ultimately getting the nod for the Haas seat.
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