Rafael Câmara made his F1 debut with Haas at the 2026 São Paulo GP, competing on home soil alongside fellow Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto. Confirmation of Câmara’s debut came shortly after Haas announced that he would join the team as a full-time driver in 2027, replacing Esteban Ocon following the Frenchman’s departure.
Although the 21 year-old ultimately finished last among the classified drivers, he impressed during Saturday’s Qualifying session, securing P13 on his debut despite hitting the barriers in Q1. Speaking in the print media zone after the race, Câmara reflected on his debut weekend and the challenges that the constantly changing weather conditions brought.
“No, definitely not an easy one. It was a tricky race. I think we experienced everything in just one race, so it was not easy to stay on track,” he said.
“There was a mistake that I was not really expecting in doing today, but in a way I think it makes a big part of understanding and getting used to everything. But for sure, I think on my side I’m not really satisfied with everything today, but I think it was a very good lesson for the future.”
Taking valuable lessons from his debut weekend
Despite taking positives from his debut weekend, Câmara admitted that things had gone well until Sunday’s race, where he struggled to find his rhythm. The Brazilian viewed the weekend as a valuable learning experience and hopes to work with the team to understand the challenges he faced.
“Yeah, I think it has been a very positive weekend so far. I think until quali, everything was pretty good, I would say. There was one mistake [the crash] yesterday that caused us to probably going to Q3. But today, it was really, really tricky.
“Like I said, it was a mistake that I was not expecting, but I think for the future it will be very useful. Just looking with the team at what we can do next. We still need to see what will happen, but we just try to make sure that we understand and move forward.”
“I don’t know, we’ll see” — Câmara uncertain about Haas’ plans for final three races of 2026 F1 season
With the confirmation of Ocon’s dismissal, his departure leaves the second seat vacant for the final three races of the season. While Ryo Hirakawa stepped in for the Mexico City GP and Câmara took over in São Paulo, the team has yet to confirm who will fill the seat in Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
“I don’t know, we’ll see. There will be a lot of things to discuss after this weekend,” Câmara said. “But whatever it will be, I’ll be happy in doing what I love to do, that is driving. So both of the cases will be good.”
Having struggled through the S do Senna, Câmara reflected on the difficulties he faced at the corner during the race, saying: “Yeah, I think today was not an easy one. There was a bit damp, and then sometimes we were just not putting the car in the right place, getting the lock up, and then the rear was moving.
“You get in the grip of the front, and then the rear is just going away. So that was a place I was not really expecting in doing that mistake. Like you said, it was a difficult one today.”
Câmara takes “positive” from experiencing everything in one weekend
Thrown into the spotlight at his home race, the 21 year-old had to adapt quickly to the pressures of F1. Despite the demands of a busy and nonstop weekend, Câmara still managed to enjoy the experience throughout his debut weekend.
“Yes, I think you in a way have time to realise what is happening, but at the same time it’s very quick everything. So a lot of things to see, to prepare, to put in place with the team. It’s almost like you don’t stop. The time you really stop is going back to the hotel when you’re sleeping.
“But for sure it was a weekend that I was able to enjoy. I had a lot of fun, I think, on track. Driving F1 cars is what you dream for in doing, and it was a weekend that was really enjoyable. Just today was a bit more so.”
When asked whether the support from his home crowd was one of the many positives he could take away from the weekend, Câmara said: “I think the most positive thing was that we experienced everything in one weekend. So I think that will be very useful for the future.
“And like I said, after this weekend, a lot of things to see, to prepare. It was a good test, I think, for the future, just to put yourself more ready for the future.”
