21-year-old Rafael Camara to make his Formula 1 debut at the São Paulo Grand Prix for Haas

An early debut at his home track

21-year-old Brazilian Rafael Camara will make his Formula 1 Grand Prix debut for Haas at the São Paulo round — right in front of his home crowd. However, according to Life.ru, the driver has never raced at Interlagos and has not yet driven the team's current car, the VF-26. Before the race weekend, he did get some work done on the Ferrari simulator. «I always try to focus on myself, on the things I can control,» Camara said.

Why the seat went to Camara

The debut came earlier than expected: Haas originally signed Camara as a race driver for the 2027 season. The plans changed after the situation with Esteban Ocon — at the previous round in Mexico, the Frenchman was replaced by reserve driver Ryu Hirakawa, and then the team announced that Ocon would not return to the Haas cockpit this season. At the São Paulo Grand Prix, Hirakawa cannot help the team because he is competing for Toyota in the World Endurance Championship, so the chance went to Camara.

What is known about the newcomer

Camara cannot be called completely unfamiliar with Haas machinery: in August he took part in a test of last year's VF-25 in Portimão, after which team principal Ayao Komatsu praised his speed and ability to handle pressure. Camara is considered one of the top young talents in Brazilian motorsport: he is a member of the Ferrari Academy, won the Formula 3 championship in 2025, and currently leads the Formula 2 standings. At Haas he will race alongside Ollie Bearman. Full schedule for the 2026 São Paulo Grand Prix has been compiled by Life.ru in a separate article.