F1: Haas signs Rafael Camara for 2027 to replace Ocon

Haas confirmed on 15 October that Brazilian Rafael Camara will be its F1 driver for the 2027 season. The 21-year-old, who races for Invicta Racing and leads the Formula 2 standings, takes the seat left by Esteban Ocon, whose departure from the American team had already been announced. He has signed a multi-year contract and is currently the only new driver confirmed for 2027.

Chosen after a back-to-back test

According to Formel1.de, Camara beat Leonardo Fornaroli and Toyota protégé Ryo Hirakawa in a shootout. All three were assessed in an older Haas car, including a three-day test at Portimão. Fornaroli had in fact won F3 and F2 just ahead of Camara.

Team principal Ayao Komatsu praised his talent and pointed to his F2 speed in difficult moments, such as qualifying at Monaco and Montreal. He added that Camara showed more than raw pace in testing.

Rafael Camara's career

Born in Recife, Camara has been a Ferrari Driver Academy member since 2021, following his karting success. His rise has been quick:

• 2024: Formula Regional Europe (FRECA) champion with a round to spare and seven wins;
• 2025: F3 champion as a rookie with Trident, with four feature-race wins;
• 2026: in F2 with Invicta, wins at Barcelona, Spa-Francorchamps and Baku. He leads the standings by seven points over Nikola Tsolov with two rounds to go, in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

He also did testing of previous cars at the Hungaroring in a Ferrari SF-25, then ran Haas machinery over the summer.

Who will be his teammate in 2027?

Oliver Bearman, also from the Ferrari Driver Academy, is expected to keep his seat, although this is not officially confirmed. Haas receives engines and key parts from Ferrari, but Formel1.de says the academy link was probably not the deciding factor.

Ocon leaves Haas at the end of the 2026 season after two years with the team; his F1 future remains open.

The editorial team