Brazilian driver Rafael Câmara will have his Formula 1 debut brought forward to the São Paulo Grand Prix, which takes place next weekend at Interlagos. Previously announced for the 2027 season with Haas, the driver from Pernambuco will take the place of Frenchman Esteban Ocon starting at the next round of the championship.
The change comes after Ocon was sidelined by the team during the Mexican Grand Prix, held in late October, due to a disagreement with team principal Ayao Komatsu. The contract termination with the French driver was made official on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. In a statement released by the TGR Haas F1 Team, Komatsu stated that the decision was made focusing on the team's future, although the details of the discussions remain internal.
With this confirmation, Câmara becomes the 34th Brazilian driver to race in Formula 1 history and the first from Northeast Brazil to join the category's grid. At 20 years old, the driver from Recife has been part of the Ferrari Driver Academy since 2022 and leads the Formula 2 championship with Invicta Racing, totaling 207 points and three feature race wins in the current season. At Haas, he will partner with British driver Ollie Bearman.
The seat became vacant following Ocon's dismissal in Mexico, where the French driver was initially replaced by Japanese reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa. However, Hirakawa has World Endurance Championship commitments with Toyota for the São Paulo weekend, paving the way for the Brazilian's early debut.
