Haas signs Ferrari academy driver Rafael Câmara, 21, for 2027 F1 race seat
Haas has signed Formula 2 leader Rafael Câmara, a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy, for a race seat from 2027. The 21-year-old Brazilian replaces Esteban Ocon, who is leaving the team after two seasons.
The signing
Haas has signed Rafael Câmara, a 21-year-old Brazilian who leads the Formula 2 championship, for a race seat from the 2027 season. The announcement came on 15 October 2026, and The New York Times describes the arrangement as a multi-year deal. Câmara replaces Esteban Ocon, the Frenchman who announced at the end of September that he would leave Haas after two seasons. Câmara is part of the Ferrari Driver Academy, as is the British driver Oliver Bearman, who is already at Haas. Haas has not yet said who will race its other car next season, although BBC considers Bearman's confirmation for a third season to be only a matter of time.
How Haas chose him
Haas assessed four drivers before making its decision. Câmara was picked over reigning F2 champion Leonardo Fornaroli and Haas reserve drivers Jack Doohan and Ryo Hirakawa, all of whom had been assessed in tests in earlier seasons' F1 cars. Câmara, Fornaroli and Hirakawa took part in a test at the Portimão track in Portugal in August, while Doohan was assessed separately. Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu praised the Brazilian's performance in that programme, and his words about the test stood out in the statement the team issued.
He showed us more than just raw speed.
Komatsu added that Câmara had handled himself well despite having limited time to learn the car, and that he had managed to bring out the best in himself during the laps he completed.
Haas and the championship
Haas is seventh of 11 teams in the constructors' standings with six rounds left in the season. The team has 30 points so far, and Bearman has scored 23 of them while Ocon has added 7. Haas buys several components from Ferrari, including its engine, and the link between the two teams dates back to Haas's debut in Formula 1.
- Oliver Bearman
- 23 points
- Esteban Ocon
- 7 points
Câmara's record and the remaining season
Câmara won the Formula Regional European Championship in 2024 and then the Formula 3 title as a rookie in 2025. In his debut F2 season with Invicta Racing he has taken three wins and five pole positions. He leads Red Bull's Nikola Tsolov by seven points with two rounds remaining. NOS reports it is still unclear whether any further F2 races will take place this year, as the final rounds are normally held in Qatar and Abu Dhabi and the situation in the Middle East casts doubt on them.
Câmara reacted to the signing in a statement that focused on the step up to Formula 1.
I'm very happy to be joining Haas as a Formula One driver.
Timeline of the seat decision
The sequence runs from the August test in Portugal to the announcement on 15 October 2026. Câmara will make his F1 debut in 2027 once his current F2 campaign has concluded.
- Câmara, Fornaroli and Hirakawa assessed at a test in Portimão, Portugal; Doohan tested separately
- Câmara named the lead candidate for the seat
- Esteban Ocon announces he will leave Haas after two seasons
- Haas announces Câmara's signing for the 2027 season