Rafael Câmara is set to make his Formula 1 race debut earlier than planned, taking the Haas seat for the São Paulo and Las Vegas Grands Prix in 2026, according to reports by Voando Baixo and GE.globo. He was announced as a Haas driver for the 2027 season in October.
Câmara is expected to replace Esteban Ocon, whose contract the team plans to end following disagreements during the Mexico City Grand Prix. Ryo Hirakawa drove the car at that event, finishing 10th and scoring a point, but is unavailable for the São Paulo and Las Vegas rounds because of a schedule conflict with his World Endurance Championship commitments.
The Brazilian is leading Formula 2, and its final rounds in Qatar and Abu Dhabi are due to clash with Formula 1 events. As a result, Câmara is expected to contest only the two races in São Paulo and Las Vegas. Hirakawa could return for the final rounds of the F1 season, although their status remains uncertain; another possibility mentioned in the report is for the season to end at Imola, with 22 races in total.
Câmara, 21, impressed Haas during a test at Portugal’s Algarve International Circuit in August. Team principal Ayao Komatsu praised his ability to adapt quickly, provide useful feedback and perform consistently over longer runs. The report says he was the quickest of the drivers assessed in the previous-season VF-25, while noting that private test times can be affected by changing track conditions.
Câmara leads the Formula 2 standings with 207 points, seven ahead of Nikola Tsolov and 18 ahead of Alexander Dunne, according to the report. He would become the seventh Brazilian to make a Grand Prix start in Brazil and the 34th Brazilian driver to compete in Formula 1.
Sources: Globo Esporte.