Ferrari protégé Rafael Camara has become the favorite to replace Esteban Ocon at Haas in 2027 after impressing with his raw speed in Formula 2. The Brazilian rookie leads the F2 championship and holds the best qualifying average of any driver this season at 2.54 positions.
Camara's speed has drawn praise from Invicta team boss James Robinson, who called his natural talent incredible and said he has never met a driver with such feel for tires. He secured five poles as a Formula 2 rookie, matching Oscar Piastri's 2021 achievement.
However, Camara acknowledges rough edges in his racecraft, including costly errors in Montreal and Monaco that damaged his championship bid. He spun while attempting an ill-judged overtake in Canada and threw away a certain Monaco victory by struggling with tire warm-up and locking up under pressure.
Camara's extensive testing in Formula 1 machinery through Ferrari and Haas's Testing of Previous Cars program has strengthened his candidacy. He expressed readiness for Formula 1, saying he has worked his whole life for the opportunity and believes he can adapt to the higher level of competition and media attention.