Breaking: Haas sign Ferrari protégé to Formula 1 race seat for 2027

Haas has formally announced the signing of Ferrari's F2 protégé Rafael Camara to an F1 race seat for 2027, as revealed by RacingNews365 last week. 

Brazilian Camara, who is 21 years old, will form an all-Ferrari junior line-up at Haas from next season alongside Oliver Bearman, who will be entering his third full-time season with the team. 

Frenchman Ocon, who joined ahead of the 2025 season after leaving Alpine, is departing from the squad after two campaigns, with his future uncertain. 

Camara, who has sampled Haas F1 machinery during TPC outings, was one of several drivers being evaluated for the seat alongside Bearman, including 2025 FIA F2 champion Leonardo Fornaroli, a McLaren junior; former Alpine F1 driver and Haas's own third driver, Jack Doohan; and the Toyota-backed Le Mans winner, Ryo Hirakawa.

After the TPC runs, it is understood that the field was narrowed to Camara and Doohan, whose pace had made the choice difficult for owner Gene Haas and team principal Ayao Komatsu. 

However, Camara ultimately got the nod to replace Ocon, with RacingNews365 understanding that the decision was taken over the recent Singapore GP weekend, with Camara bringing sizeable sponsorship from Brazil and from the FDA, which he joined in 2022.

He won the 2024 FRECA championship before claiming the 2025 FIA F3 title, beating Red Bull junior Nikola Tsolov by 42 points.

In 2026, both Camara and Tsolov stepped up to FIA F2 and are engaged in a fierce battle for the title, with Camara recently overhauling Tsolov and currently leading the standings by seven points. 

Camara will join Audi's Gabriel Bortoleto as a full-time Brazilian racer on the grid, the first time two Brazilians will have raced in F1 at the same time since Felipe Massa and Felipe Nasr in 2016.

[Article continues below]

Camara - Time to now focus

Expressing his natural happiness at breaking into F1, Camara said: "It’s an important step in my career, and I want to thank Gene Haas and Ayao Komatsu for the trust they have placed in me.

"I’m also very grateful to the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy for their support and for everything they have contributed to my development over the years, as well as to my family for always being there throughout this journey.

"Now my focus is on preparing myself in the best possible way for this new challenge. There will be a lot to learn, and I’m looking forward to working closely with the team, understanding the car and continuing to develop as a driver."