Who Are the Aspiring F1 Drivers Affected By Rafael Camara's Haas Deal?

Another Brazilian driver is joining the Formula 1 grid next season. After Gabriel Bortoleto joined Kick Sauber (now Audi) in 2025, his compatriot Rafael Camara follows suit by signing with Haas for 2027.

Sadly, though, this means that there is one less available seat in next year's grid. After the Camara deal, only three vacant seats remain: two with Racing Bulls and one with Haas. And frankly, we have a good idea about which names will fill out those vacancies.

Camara's Haas deal sends ripple effects to these aspiring F1 drivers.

Doohan is the biggest immediate loser of this whole deal. A former Alpine driver and current Haas reserve, Doohan was a serious contender for the seat, with many speculating that he was in a late two-horse race with Camara. 

The Australian driver had a good performance during a recent Test of Previous Cars (TPC) session with Haas. It boosted his hopes of landing the seat, but it's all there is for now. It's still unclear if he will continue serving as Haas' reserve driver in 2027, but the Aussie's chances of returning to the F1 grid are getting thinner by the day.

Fornaroli, the reigning Formula 2 champion, is currently a reserve driver for McLaren. Typically, winning the F2 championship is a clear path to F1, so it's disappointing for Fornaroli that Camara beat him to a 2027 seat.

Early this year, McLaren agreed to loan Fornaroli to Haas for a year, if the latter would take him. But with Haas choosing the Camara route, Fornaroli's path to F1 depends on McLaren's plans or another team opening up a seat in 2028. 

Hirakawa, also a Haas reserve like Doohan, was backed by Toyota for the 2027 seat. Haas explicitly evaluated him as an alternative option to replace the outgoing Esteban Ocon.  

At 32 years of age, Hirakawa's F1 window is getting smaller. Missing the seat means he stays in Toyota's WEC Hypercar program for a sixth season.

The wait for another shot at a permanent F1 seat continues for Tsunoda. An Isack Hadjar injury allowed Tsunoda to step up to the Racing Bulls in three races this year, and impressed with a points finish in Monza. 

But with the Haas seat filled, Tsunoda might set his sights on Aston Martin. Aston Martin has entered a technical partnership with Honda this year, the same brand that supports Tsunoda. The team has already confirmed Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll for 2027, so Tsunoda will have to wait one more year.

Technically speaking, Bearman will be an aspiring driver for 2027 because his contract is still not confirmed. But Haas team principal Ayo Komatsu has been vocal about Bearman's improvement this year, saying that the young British driver has what it takes to be a leader.

His representatives might just be working out some kinks in his next Haas contract, but until then, Bearman remains on this list.