If Rafa Camara felt any nerves about making his F1 debut earlier than expected on home soil, he didn't show it. The Ferrari junior will replace Esteban Ocon at Haas next year, starting that journey this weekend after Ocon's split with the team halfway through the Mexico weekend. At just 21, Camara has never driven a 2026 F1 car before, has never raced at Interlagos, and starts with little preparation time. During a private test in Portimao, he was so quick that regular driver Oliver Bearman struggled to match his times, impressing Haas team boss Ayao Komatsu enough to hand him the keys for next season. Counting against him are no simulator work in Maranello and no prior race experience there, though he was slated to conduct FP1 for Ferrari. His immense potential has long been seen as Ferrari's biggest raw talent yet needing polish.
In front of international and local media, the shy Camara looked anything but overawed. 'I was very surprised,' he told Autosport when asked about the phone call to jump into the VF-26 this weekend. 'Definitely not a place where I would expect to make my debut in Formula 1, but just very happy for the opportunity, very grateful as well for the team to put trust in me this week.' He aims to focus on what he can control, knowing his 2027 drive is already secured and allowing him to kickstart preparation without feeling pressure to prove himself prematurely.
Source: Autosport F1 News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing