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That is how you get thrown into the deep end. Rafael Camara got his very first taste of Formula 1 action behind the wheel of a 2026 machine earlier than expected, stepping up to race for Haas at this weekend's Sao Paulo Grand Prix after it was confirmed earlier this week that Esteban Ocon would no longer compete for the US outfit for the rest of 2026. Yes, that Camara—the 21-year-old Brazilian who had already been signed to race for the team in 2027.
With a massive spotlight shining on him at his home event, and tackling a track he had never driven at before, the rookie put down P18 and P16 finishes in FP1 and FP2 respectively.
He’s full throttle. He’s starting a lap. He can’t really move any further to the right in the end, but it’s just one of those things. He’s absolutely flat out at that point.
"It’s been a very nice weekend, very special," said Camara. "Going into FP1, it was getting a bit more emotional. You can see the crowd in front of you and everyone’s just so excited."
Once the visor goes down, though, the noise disappears. "Once you get in the car and start driving, you just focus on your own thing. It’s the normal thing you’ve been doing all your life. It’s been a very nice weekend, a lot of things going on, but so far I think it’s been a good two sessions. We’re able to learn a lot and just keep improving through the day."
Adapting to current F1 machinery is no small task. While he has completed TPC (Testing of Previous Car) tests with both Haas and Ferrari, today marked his absolute first outing in a 2026 Formula 1 car.
"Once you get in the car, it’s a completely different thing," he explained. "In a way, you get different feelings. It’s quite difficult to simulate the real car. There were a lot of things to learn, a lot to adapt [to], and to process. As for tomorrow, it will be good tonight to just sit back, realise everything, understand more things and put things in place for tomorrow."
Of course, his first day of running didn't pass entirely without incident. The Brazilian was reprimanded over an impeding moment with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. With the Monegasque on a flying lap, he was forced to take evasive action towards the wall at Turn 15 as the inexperienced Camara moved across.
"While the typical penalty for impeding in a Free Practice session is a warning, in this instance, we are of the view that a reprimand is warranted," read the stewards’ document, citing that the situation created was "clearly dangerous".
Offering his take on the incident, Haas’ Head Of Car Engineering, Hoagy Nidd explained: "He’s full throttle. He’s starting a lap. He can’t really move any further to the right in the end, but it’s just one of those things. He’s absolutely flat out at that point."
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