Rafael Camara has been confirmed as Esteban Ocon’s successor at Haas for the upcoming Formula 1 season. It was previously announced that Ocon would be leaving the team when his contract ends in 2026, and now Haas has officially named Camara as his replacement.
The 30-year-old French driver was narrowly outperformed by his rookie teammate Ollie Bearman last year, but this season the gap between them has significantly increased during what has been a tough 2026 campaign. There had been much speculation over who would take Ocon’s seat, but the decision has now been finalized. So, who exactly is Rafael Camara?
Camara is a 21-year-old Brazilian currently leading the Formula 2 championship in his debut season. He has enjoyed a meteoric rise through the junior single-seater categories, claiming the 2024 Formula Regional European title and then impressively becoming Formula 3 champion on his first attempt in 2025. In his rookie F2 season, Camara has already secured three feature race wins and holds a seven-point advantage over Red Bull-supported Nikola Tsolov, with just two rounds left to contest.
If Camara manages to clinch this year’s F2 championship, he will join an elite group of only six drivers who have won both the F3 (or GP3) and F2 (or GP2) titles in consecutive years. Notable names such as Charles Leclerc, George Russell, Oscar Piastri, Gabriel Bortoleto, and McLaren reserve Leonardo Fornaroli have all achieved this feat before.
Camara is also part of Ferrari’s young driver academy. Given the strong technical partnership between Ferrari and Haas, next season’s Haas lineup will feature two Ferrari-backed juniors. Recently, Camara participated in a private test at Portimao with Haas, alongside Fornaroli, Ryo Hirakawa, and Jack Doohan—all candidates evaluated for Haas’s 2027 driver roster. His impressive performance in this test played a significant role in Haas deciding to offer him the F1 seat.
Interestingly, Camara will make his F1 debut earlier than planned at this weekend’s São Paulo Grand Prix after Haas dropped Ocon permanently following a dispute with team principal Ayao Komatsu.
Fan Take: This breakthrough for Rafael Camara is a thrilling moment for F1 enthusiasts as it highlights the continuous influx of fresh talent from the junior categories, promising an exciting new generation of drivers. Camara’s rapid ascent and Ferrari backing could shake up the grid dynamics, potentially revitalizing Haas and adding an intriguing storyline to next season’s championship battle.
Source: www.crash.net
