Brazil will have another young driver on the Formula 1 grid in 2027. Rafael Câmara, the reigning Formula 3 champion and current Formula 2 championship leader, has signed a multi-year contract with TGR Haas F1 Team and will make his Grand Prix debut next season.
The 21-year-old will take the seat being vacated by Esteban Ocon, who will leave Haas after the 2026 season. Haas confirmed Ocon’s departure on September 30, ending a two-year stint with the American-owned team. Oliver Bearman is expected to remain, although Haas has not yet formally announced its complete 2027 driver pairing.
Câmara arrives with one of the strongest junior records of his generation. He won the Formula Regional European Championship in 2024, followed it with the FIA Formula 3 title in 2025, and then moved directly into Formula 2 with Invicta Racing. Formula 1 says his F3 campaign matched Arvid Lindblad for the highest win percentage in the championship’s history.
His rookie F2 season has strengthened the case for immediate promotion. Haas says Câmara leads the championship with 207 points, having won Feature Races in Spain, Belgium and Azerbaijan. He has six podium finishes and five pole positions, and currently holds a seven-point advantage over Red Bull junior Nikola Tsolov with two rounds remaining.
Haas did not make the decision based on junior results alone. Câmara drove the team’s 2025 VF-25 during a Testing of Previous Cars session at Portimão in August. Team principal Ayao Komatsu said the Brazilian showed more than raw speed, impressing the team with how quickly he adapted to a new car, circuit and working environment.
The evaluation was reportedly competitive. Reuters says Câmara was the quickest in a shootout-style test as Haas assessed multiple options for Ocon’s seat. Formula 1 reported that the wider group considered included Haas reserves Jack Doohan and Ryo Hirakawa and other young drivers.
Câmara’s promotion also continues Haas’ increasingly close relationship with Ferrari’s development system. He has been a Ferrari Driver Academy member since 2021, following a path similar to Bearman, another Ferrari-backed driver whom Haas promoted into Formula 1. Câmara thanked Ferrari’s academy for helping develop his career while saying his immediate priority is learning how Haas operates and preparing for the demands of F1.
His arrival will also strengthen Brazil’s presence on the grid. Formula 1 notes that Câmara is set to become the second Brazilian driver in the championship alongside Gabriel Bortoleto, giving Brazilian fans another young prospect after years with limited representation at the sport’s highest level.
Before that debut, however, Câmara still has unfinished business. He leads the F2 championship with two rounds remaining and has a chance to arrive in Formula 1 as champion in consecutive junior categories. For Haas, the gamble is clear: trade Ocon’s experience for the upside of a 21-year-old who has repeatedly shown he can win quickly whenever he moves up a level.
