Rafael Camara: 'It’s Crazy to Have Gotten This Far'

Rafael Camara has seen the dream he's pursued since childhood come true. The 21-year-old Brazilian driver has been confirmed as a new Haas member for the 2027 season, an announcement that puts the finishing touch on an ascending trajectory in the promotion categories: "It feels good; I'm very happy. It's something you've been working your whole life for; this moment is really crazy to achieve. I'm looking forward to starting to work with the team, meeting everyone at the factory, and starting as soon as possible," Camara declared.

The path to F1 was not easy: Camara entered the year knowing that if he performed at the expected level, Ferrari (whose young driver academy he has been part of since 2021) would find a way to place him on the 2027 grid, and he did not disappoint. The Brazilian focused on his Formula 2 campaign with Invicta Racing, and after a complicated start in which he came to be 47 points behind the leader, he managed to turn the situation around and place himself at the front of the championship: "I was just trying to make sure I did everything possible to not have regrets this year; obviously, I can't be happier right now," he stated.

The decisive moment came with the selection test that Haas organized to evaluate four young drivers. Over two days, Camara underwent an intense test program in which he had to adapt to a new car, a new team, and a new circuit: "It was a couple of intense days; obviously, it was a new track, a new team. I went to do the seat fit, but I didn't know everyone, so it was a new environment, and it was quite intense. You have two days to get comfortable and deliver what you need to deliver. I was a bit worried about being tense and not being myself; I just wanted to make sure I enjoyed it because I wasn't going to have this opportunity again," the Brazilian recounted.

His ability to adapt quickly to changing conditions and extract performance from the car without mistakes impressed Ayao Komatsu and his engineering team. That skill has been a constant in Camara's career, and he already surprised in his F3 debut in Melbourne, where he set the fastest lap on his second lap of free practice and then achieved pole: "I think I've always been able to extract the best of myself; those days were about applying everything I learned in my years in single-seaters," he explained.

Camara also highlighted the importance of his time in the Ferrari academy, where he has grown as a driver and as a person: "I was a bit scared when I joined the Ferrari young driver program. I had to work hard to improve my English and thus improve the way I communicated with the team, but I threw myself into the challenge, and as a result, I feel I was able to learn a lot and grow not only as a driver but also as a person," he stated. Seeing drivers like Charles Leclerc and Ollie Bearman progress from the Ferrari academy to Formula 1 inspired him.

When Komatsu gave him the good news, Camara told his parents: "I didn't know how to tell them, so I just said quickly, 'I'm going to drive next year'. My father was more emotional; when he came to hug me, it was... You can't contain the emotion; it just comes out," he recalled with a smile.

In Formula 1, he will reunite with old friends like Gabriel Bortoleto, with whom he has competed since he was seven years old: "We have been very good friends, seeing him go to F1... for me it was another motivation to keep working and keep pushing. Next year we will both be there," he concluded.