Câmara confirmed for Haas in 2027
Haas announced a multi-year deal for Rafael Câmara on 14 October 2026. He replaces Esteban Ocon alongside Oliver Bearman in 2027.
By Barry Michael Doyle · Published · Updated
Haas signed Rafael Câmara on 14 October 2026 on a multi-year deal for 2027. He replaces Esteban Ocon alongside Oliver Bearman.
Ocon is leaving
Esteban Ocon announced on 30 September 2026 that he will leave Haas when the season ends, and Haas confirmed it with a statement from Ayao Komatsu. The team said it would not share further driver news at that time.
Ocon said he leaves with his head held high and that this is “absolutely not the end of my Formula 1 career”. He has not said where he goes next. Haas named Rafael Câmara as his replacement on 14 October 2026.
What Komatsu has said
Writing for the Japanese publication as-web.jp during the Monza weekend, Ayao Komatsu named the five drivers in contention for one 2027 Haas seat.
Ocon held the seat and was one of the five. Haas has been comparing the others in private testing. Grandprix.com reports that Hirakawa, Fornaroli and Bearman were within a tenth of a second of each other at Jerez, and that Haas gathered more data at Portimao afterwards. Doohan has since completed his own test at Jerez, running alongside Hirakawa and Sho Tsuboi. It was the last of the runs Haas said it wanted before deciding. Asked on 18 September when he would decide, Komatsu said: “I don’t know, not next week, shall I say.” He added that performance comes first, and that a driver’s backing only counts if two candidates are otherwise equal.
Haas signs Câmara
Haas announced on 14 October 2026 that Rafael Câmara has signed a multi-year deal to replace Esteban Ocon in 2027, partnering Oliver Bearman. Formula 1 reported the same promotion the following day. Câmara is 21, leads the Formula 2 standings, and has been a Ferrari Driver Academy member since 2021, the same pathway Bearman took to this team.
RacingNews365 had reported on 11 October that Haas and Ferrari reached an agreement in Singapore, and that Câmara and Jack Doohan emerged as the final two candidates after testing. Câmara’s case rested on a private Haas test at Portimão in late August. The Stint reported on 5 October that Leonardo Fornaroli is set to join McLaren’s WEC Hypercar programme in 2027.
Why Bearman is not on the list
The five Komatsu named were competing for one seat. Bearman holds the other, and Komatsu left him out of the contest because his place in the team is secure.
Haas’s July 2024 release says Bearman signed a multi-year contract beginning with the 2025 season. It names no end year. PlanetF1 reports the deal runs to the end of 2026 with a team option for 2027, and that Haas is expected to take it. Haas has confirmed neither the expiry nor the option.
Esteban Ocon
Ocon joined Haas in 2025 and finished fifth in China in his second race for the team. He won the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix with Alpine. He leaves Haas at the end of 2026 after two seasons. Haas named Rafael Câmara as his replacement on 14 October 2026. Ocon has not announced his next team.
- Haas: Esteban Ocon’s career and results
- Formula 1: Ocon confirms he will leave Haas (30 September 2026)
Ocon’s Haas merch is on the F1 Store while stock lasts.
Shop Ocon’s Haas kit (opens in a new tab)Affiliate links. We earn a commission on purchases made through them.
Jack Doohan
Doohan joined Haas as a reserve driver in February 2026. He finished third in Formula 2 in 2023, made his F1 debut with Alpine at Abu Dhabi in 2024, and raced the opening six Grands Prix of 2025. RacingNews365 reported that he and Câmara were the final two candidates.
Ryo Hirakawa
Hirakawa became a Haas reserve in April 2025 after testing the VF-24 in Abu Dhabi. He ran four Haas FP1 sessions in 2025: Bahrain, Spain, Mexico City and Abu Dhabi. In 2026 he drove FP1 in Austria and Hungary. He also races Toyota’s endurance programme, and Toyota is a Haas partner. Diario Motor reported on 16 October 2026 that he stays in that programme for 2027.
Rafael Câmara
Câmara won the 2025 FIA Formula 3 title as a rookie with Trident, with four wins and five pole positions. He is a Ferrari Driver Academy member, moved to Formula 2 with Invicta for 2026 and leads the championship. Haas ran him in a TPC test at Portimão in August and announced his multi-year deal for 2027 on 14 October 2026.
Leonardo Fornaroli
Fornaroli won the 2024 FIA Formula 3 championship, then the 2025 Formula 2 title with Invicta in his rookie season. Haas has run him in its private testing. The Stint reported on 5 October 2026 that he is set to join McLaren’s WEC Hypercar programme in 2027.
The shortlist Haas considered
The five driver profiles above record the original shortlist Komatsu named in September. Haas announced Câmara on 14 October 2026, on a multi-year deal, and he will make his Formula 1 debut in 2027.
.jpg){kind=link}
