Rafael Camara to make Formula 1 debut with Haas in 2027

Brazil will have a new driver in Formula 1. Rafael Camara, 21, will make his debut for Haas in 2027.

The US-based team confirmed the deal on 14 October, locking in the Brazilian for his first full season at the top level, according to Haas F1 Team.

Camara arrives as the leader of the Formula 2 championship, the feeder series directly below Formula 1 where young drivers prove they are ready for the step up. That status is current. He sat second in late September and third after nine rounds, but a strong run since has put him top of the standings, according to BBC Sport.

Haas did not hand him the seat on junior results alone. Team principal Ayao Komatsu put four drivers through assessments in previous years’ F1 cars and chose Camara.

The three beaten candidates were reigning Formula 2 champion Leonardo Fornaroli and Haas reserve drivers Jack Doohan and Ryo Hirakawa. Camara, Fornaroli and Hirakawa were tested together at the Portimao track in Portugal in August. Doohan was assessed separately.

It is a clean audition win. No politics. Just the timing screens.

The move reshapes Haas for 2027. Esteban Ocon will leave at the end of this year after two seasons alongside Oliver Bearman. Haas has not yet said who will drive its other car next season.

There is a familiar thread in the garage. Camara and Bearman are both members of the Ferrari driver academy, the Italian team’s development programme for young talent. Haas has a long technical partnership with Ferrari.

Camara is already a Formula 3 champion and stepped up to Formula 2 for this season. He raced in the Formula Regional European Championship for Prema Racing before that, taking eight wins.

For fans, this means a fresh Brazilian name on the grid with real momentum behind him. From Interlagos to the junior categories, that support travels fast. Now Camara gets his chance to show what he can do with the five red lights ahead of him.