Jack Doohan Far From Haas F1 Seat as Rafael Camara Gains Ground for 2027

Jack Doohan has received a new blow in his attempt to return to Formula 1. The Australian driver, who lost his seat at Alpine to Franco Colapinto in 2025, sees his chances of returning to the grid fading. According to information published by GPBlog, Rafael Camara, a driver in Ferrari's young talent program, appears as the candidate with the best chances of replacing Esteban Ocon at Haas next season. The outlet assures that there is a 90% probability that the Brazilian will be the chosen one, although the agreement is not yet completely closed.

The news represents a hard setback for Doohan, who had placed his hopes in the American team. The Australian took part in a test in Portimao alongside other aspirants to the seat, such as Camara himself, Ryo Hirakawa and Leonardo Fornaroli. However, according to specialized media, the son of Mick Doohan "never became a real option" for Haas. The publication points out that Camara, Fornaroli and Hirakawa were the candidates with the best chances, while Doohan was ruled out in the bid.

Doohan's path since leaving Alpine has been complicated. After losing his status as reserve driver at the French team to Paul Aron, the Australian set his sights on Japan, where his participation in the Super Formula tests was overshadowed by three successive crashes that compromised his chances of finding a seat. Despite this, Haas offered him the same reserve role he had at Alpine, which kept him linked to Formula 1 and fueled speculation about a possible promotion.

However, the reality of the driver market has been implacable with the Australian. The emergence of Camara, who competes in Formula 2 and is linked to Ferrari's academy, has changed Haas's priorities. The 20 year old Brazilian represents a bet on the future with significant technical and economic backing, which makes him the most attractive option for the American team.

Doohan contested only six Grands Prix with Alpine in 2025 before being replaced by Colapinto from the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix onwards, his best result was a thirteenth place and he failed to score points in his brief spell in the category. Since then his goal has been to find a second opportunity, but events have not played in his favor.

Doohan's situation reflects the harshness of the driver market in Formula 1, with only 20 seats available and a generation of young talent emerging strongly, opportunities are limited and competition is fierce. The Australian will have to look for alternatives outside Haas if he wants to keep alive his aspiration of returning to the top category, meanwhile Camara is shaping up as the next driver to make the jump to F1 and his arrival at Haas seems a matter of time.

Doohan's future in international motorsport remains uncertain, his talent and his surname open doors for him, but Formula 1 is an implacable sport where performance and opportunities must coincide at the right moment.

For now the Australian will have to wait and keep working in search of a new opportunity.