Haas confirms Rafael Câmara as F1 driver for 2027, replacing Esteban Ocon
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In brief
Haas Formula 1 has confirmed that Brazilian driver Rafael Câmara, 21, will join the team for the 2027 season on a multi-year contract, taking the seat vacated by Esteban Ocon. The Ferrari Driver Academy member currently leads the 2026 Formula 2 championship and becomes the first rookie confirmed on next year's F1 grid.
TGR Haas F1 Team announced on 15 October 2026 that Rafael Câmara will race for the team starting in the 2027 Formula 1 season, under a multi-year contract, according to ESPN, RaceFans and Sky Sports. The 21-year-old Brazilian replaces Esteban Ocon, who is leaving the team at the end of the current season.
Who is Rafael Câmara
Câmara is a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy, which he joined in 2021, according to Sky Sports and ESPN. He won the Formula Regional European Championship (FRECA) in 2024 and the FIA Formula 3 championship in 2025 on his first attempt, RaceFans reported. At the time of the Haas announcement, he was leading the 2026 FIA Formula 2 championship with Invicta Racing, seven points ahead of Red Bull junior Nikola Tsolov, PlanetF1 reported.
Haas evaluated Câmara during its Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) programme at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimão, Portugal, in August 2026, running a previous-generation Haas car, according to Motorsport.com en español and Sky Sports. PlanetF1 reported that Haas also considered reserve driver Jack Doohan and McLaren junior Leonardo Fornaroli before selecting Câmara.
What Haas and Câmara said
He showed when we had him drive in our TPC program in Portugal that he could handle himself very well with not a huge amount of time to learn the car, he showed us more than just raw speed.
— Ayao Komatsu, Haas team principal (via RaceFans and PlanetF1)
Komatsu also said Câmara's performances in difficult qualifying sessions, such as in Monaco and Montreal, showed his potential, according to Sky Sports and Motorsport.com en español. Câmara said in a statement carried by ESPN and Sky Sports that joining TGR Haas F1 Team as a Formula 1 driver marked an important step in his career.
Câmara's expected teammate and the Ferrari link
Multiple outlets, including ESPN, RaceFans and Motorsport.com, reported that Câmara is expected to partner Oliver Bearman, also a Ferrari Driver Academy member, at Haas in 2027. Sky Sports noted, however, that Bearman's own contract for the 2027 season had not been officially confirmed at the time of the Câmara announcement.
Haas already uses Ferrari-supplied power units, gearboxes and other components. Spanish outlet DiarioMotor described the signing of two Ferrari academy drivers as deepening the technical and personnel ties between Haas and Ferrari, while noting Haas's separate commercial sponsorship arrangement with Toyota Gazoo Racing, reflected in the team's official name, TGR Haas F1 Team.
What happens to Esteban Ocon
Sky Sports reported that Ocon's departure from Haas at the end of the season was confirmed in September 2026, and that the driver has said he does not intend to race next year unless it is in Formula 1. DiarioMotor reported that Ocon could move toward a role with the Cadillac team, though this had not been officially confirmed by either team at the time of Câmara's announcement.
Câmara's junior career titles
Rafael Câmara's single-seater results before his F1 move
Season
Series
Result
2024
Formula Regional European Championship (FRECA)
Champion
2025
FIA Formula 3 Championship
Champion
2026
FIA Formula 2 Championship (Invicta Racing)
Leading the standings at time of Haas announcement
Câmara becomes the first rookie confirmed on the 2027 F1 grid, according to RaceFans and PlanetF1.
He is on a multi-year contract with Haas, though the exact duration has not been disclosed, per ESPN and Sky Sports.
He tested a previous-generation Haas car at Portimão in August 2026 before being signed.
His expected teammate, Oliver Bearman, is also a Ferrari Driver Academy member.
Questions
Who is Rafael Câmara?
He is a 21-year-old Brazilian racing driver and member of the Ferrari Driver Academy, currently leading the 2026 FIA Formula 2 championship with Invicta Racing after winning the FRECA title in 2024 and the FIA Formula 3 championship in 2025, according to RaceFans and PlanetF1.
When does Câmara start racing for Haas?
He is set to debut in the 2027 Formula 1 season, under a multi-year contract confirmed by Haas on 15 October 2026, per ESPN and Sky Sports.
Who is Câmara replacing at Haas?
He replaces Esteban Ocon, whose departure from Haas at the end of the current season was confirmed in September 2026, according to Sky Sports.
Who will be Câmara's teammate in 2027?
Multiple outlets, including ESPN and RaceFans, reported that he is expected to partner Oliver Bearman, though Sky Sports noted Bearman's own 2027 deal had not been officially confirmed at the time of Câmara's signing.
Where will Esteban Ocon drive next?
It had not been officially confirmed at the time of the Câmara announcement; DiarioMotor reported he could move toward a role with the Cadillac team.
How the world is telling it
SpanishSpanish-language outlets Motorsport.com and DiarioMotor focused on Câmara's Ferrari Driver Academy background and the deepening technical ties between Haas and Ferrari, and were among the few to report speculation that Esteban Ocon could move toward a role with the Cadillac team after leaving Haas.
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