Haas appears to have made a decision on Camara: major implications for the title fight

Last weekend, Haas decided to drop Esteban Ocon with immediate effect. Ryo Hirakawa was given the chance to step in midway through the Grand Prix weekend in Mexico. Replacing the Frenchman, the reserve driver scored a point for Haas on his debut.

Haas considered fielding Hirakawa in Brazil as well. Had that happened, the Japanese driver would not have been able to challenge for the drivers’ title in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) with Toyota. Hirakawa leads the standings, with only this weekend’s race in Monza left on the calendar.

In the end, it was not Hirakawa but Rafael Camara who was selected for the São Paulo Grand Prix. The Brazilian, who has already secured a full-time seat with the American team for 2027, was initially appointed only for the São Paulo Grand Prix in Brazil, according to a press release earlier this week.

However, GPblog understands that the Ferrari Driver Academy member is set to stay on. Camara is expected to step in for Haas again at the Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix. That would be a blow for Ryo Hirakawa, who had quietly hoped for another Formula 1 Grand Prix appearance.

If Camara does indeed stay with Haas, he will no longer compete in the Formula 2 championship. With two race weekends remaining, the young talent leads Red Bull driver Nikola Tsolov by seven points.

Freddie Slater is set to replace Camara at Invicta Racing in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, GPblog has learned from sources. The Audi junior is already confirmed as a full-time driver for the top team in the Formula 1 feeder series in 2027.

Haas cannot choose anyone other than Rafael Camara or Ryo Hirakawa to replace Ocon for the final races of the season. The regulations state that an F1 team may field a maximum of four different drivers over the course of a season.

With Camara, Hirakawa, Ocon and Bearman, that limit has already been reached. Jack Doohan, also a Haas reserve driver, is therefore out of the running.