Haas announced Ferrari driver academy’s Rafael Camara as Esteban Ocon’s replacement for the upcoming season. Haas Team Principal Ayao Komatsu came out after the announcement and clarified that the Brazilian was selected based on talent, and not money.
Rafael Camara is a 21-year-old Brazilian driver who is currently leading the FIA F2 championship. He won the F3 championship last year in his rookie season and signed with Invicta Racing for the 2026 F2 season.
Not only does Rafael Camara have backing from Transpetro, a Brazilian logistics company, but also has the support from Ferrari Driver Academy (FDA). Haas has a history of signing drivers from the FDA, which includes Mick Schumacher and their current driver Ollie Bearman.
As Haas made the announcement, many questioned why the likes of reigning F2 champion Leonardo Fornaroli or Haas test drivers Ryo Hirakawa and Jack Doohan weren’t chosen over Rafael Camara.
Ayao Komatsu then came out and explained why they chose Camara over the other option. He detailed how the talent and speed of the Brazilian during the Portimao test impressed him & the team.
“He was the quickest, that’s a very simple answer. Definitely, he was impressive. I always said we’re going to choose drivers by performance. And then through those evaluations, Rafa just showed incredible speed and feel. So that was the fully overriding factor above everything else. We have a good relationship with Ferrari, as you all know, but that just means that gives us access to FDA drivers,” said Ayao Komatsu
“We are watching his progress. And then his qualifying like Monaco and Montreal [in Formula 2], what he’s done this year, was really impressive,” he added.
Being part of the Ferrari Driver Academy doesn’t mean that the Scuderia directly pays Haas for placing one of its drivers. Instead, the benefits are generally discounts on powertrain components, as well as lower driver salaries.
Haas boss bins ‘Ferrari B Team’ tag after Rafael Camara’s signing
Both Oliver Bearman and Rafael Camara are part of the FDA. The signing of the Brazilian led to many giving Haas the ‘Ferrari B team’ tag, much like what Red Bull does with Racing Bulls to nourish young talents.
However, Ayao Komatsu came out and dismissed the tag, as he said,
“So, Ollie Bearman, because of our relationship with Ferrari, we had a chance to test him in Mexico. And then because we got this relationship, we had a chance to test Rafa in Portimao. But it’s the same as when we took Ollie. At no point did Ferrari pressure us.”
“We choose drivers by ourselves completely, by myself and Mr Gene Haas. So, yes, they are FDA drivers, their careers have been supported by Ferrari, but they are Haas F1 team drivers and we are under no obligation or pressure to take anyone from Ferrari. So that Ferrari B-team thing is just not even a starter,” he added
Rafael Camara has the best average qualifying position of the 2026 F2 season, and currently leads the championship by seven points.
Read More: Haas announces Esteban Ocon’s replacement for the 2027 F1 season
