Camara convinced Haas, but his speed wasn’t the only factor

As a debutant at the São Paulo Grand Prix in Brazil, Rafael Camara got an unexpected opportunity to showcase his talent in Formula 1 with Haas this season. Next season, the Brazilian will be one of the American team’s two full-time drivers.

That is not solely down to his speed, GPblog understands. As is often the case in this sport, money appears to have played a prominent role in Haas’s decision to appoint Camara. In Brazil, where Formula 1 is hugely popular, Camara is set to be a sponsor magnet, this website has learned - something highly desirable for the smallest team in the sport.

The first result of that already seems to be visible. Haas recently announced that Bradesco, one of Brazil’s largest financial institutions, had signed on as the team’s official banking partner. The deal was originally due to take effect in 2027, but Camara’s debut has brought the start of the sponsorship forward.

Notably, the agreement between Haas and the financial giant for next year was reportedly sealed last summer. It is unclear whether the team already knew at the time that Camara would be promoted from Formula 2 to Haas.

In any case, the sponsor had come on board while Esteban Ocon was still unaware that his contract would not be renewed, and several other drivers still believed they had a chance of securing the 2027 seat.

Haas ultimately considered four drivers to replace Ocon: besides Camara, they were Toyota protégé Ryo Hirakawa, McLaren reserve Leonardo Fornaroli, and Haas reserve Jack Doohan.

Toyota, a Haas partner for several years, was keen for Hirakawa to get the opportunity. However, the Japanese manufacturer was unwilling to provide Haas with additional funding for that purpose. Toyota already finances the Americans’ TPC tests, and that was enough for the Japanese company.

McLaren has great confidence in Leonardo Fornaroli and would have liked to see its current reserve driver gain experience somewhere on the grid. The British team, too, had no interest in financially compensating Haas for the move. Nor would Fornaroli have brought a large number of personal sponsors with him.

Finally, there was Jack Doohan, but Haas did not really consider him a serious option, although he was given the chance to impress the team during a test.

After that test, which Camara, Fornaroli, and Hirakawa also took part in, Haas decided to appoint the young Brazilian for 2027. Team principal Ayao Komatsu later said that Camara’s speed had convinced everyone within the team.

There is no doubt about that. Indeed, GPblog understands, Camara made an excellent impression. However, it is fair to ask whether that was truly the only reason Haas chose the Brazilian.