Câmara prepares for home F1 debut as Haas confirms São Paulo line-up

Rafael Câmara will make his Formula 1 debut at his home Grand Prix in São Paulo, joining Oliver Bearman at Haas for the 6–8 November weekend. The team confirmed the line-up in a statement dated 4 November and said Esteban Ocon would not race for it again during the 2026 championship.

The opportunity brings forward Câmara’s introduction to a team that had already announced him as a full-time driver for 2027. Haas identifies the 21-year-old Brazilian as the current Formula 2 championship leader and a member of Ferrari’s academy since 2021.

Preparation meets a new challenge

Câmara tested Haas’s VF-25 at Portimão in August under the Testing of Previous Cars programme. That experience gave the team a chance to assess him, but his Brazil appearance will put him in the 2026 car in a race-weekend setting. Team principal Ayao Komatsu cited the earlier test as a reason for confidence in the newcomer.

In remarks carried by Formula 1 from Haas’s weekend preview, Câmara put the emphasis on learning the car and working with the team. Ryo Hirakawa, who drove in Mexico, has a World Endurance Championship commitment, while Bearman arrives looking to finish after retirements in the previous two Grands Prix.

What to watch in Brazil

UPDATE FORMULA analysis: the useful early benchmark will be how Câmara builds experience across practice and qualifying, rather than an assumed finishing position. Previous-car testing and Formula 2 success provide background; they do not establish what he can immediately achieve in this car against the current F1 field.

Haas has not publicly detailed its internal discussions with Ocon. This report covers the confirmed driver change and preparations, without attributing an unverified cause to the decision.