Ahead of the 2026 Australian GP weekend, 2025 F3 champion Rafael Câmara spoke to the media, including Pit Debrief, about his transition to F2, the challenges of his rookie season and his expectations for the opening round at Albert Park.
The Brazilian arrives in F2 after securing the F3 title last season. As he prepares to begin the final step of the FIA single-seater ladder, Câmara emphasised the importance of adapting quickly and continuing to learn as much as possible from the car and the team.
Settling into F2 machinery
Reflecting on his initial experiences in the category, Câmara described the transition as relatively smooth following pre-season testing.
“[I] felt it was a good transition. Already in Abu Dhabi, I felt quite comfortable with the car and feeling quite comfortable with the team. Obviously, it’s a bit more heavy, the car, and the carbon brakes were slightly different. But in the end, it felt very similar.”
“And yeah, I think both tests were very positive for me. And I’m just trying to learn as much as I can from the car to make sure that we start this weekend in a good way. We start the championship in a good, in a positive way. So yeah, just looking forward to hit the track tomorrow and then do some laps for finally start the season.”
The additional weight and braking characteristics of the F2 car represent key differences from F3 machinery, but Câmara believes his early testing mileage has helped him adapt ahead of the season opener.
Learning from experienced rivals
When asked by Pit Debrief what he could gain from competing alongside an experienced driver such as Colton Herta, Câmara explained that opportunities to learn from rivals on track remain valuable even without sharing the same team.
“I mean, it’s a bit difficult as we’re not teammates. So you don’t really see what the other is doing. But yeah, it’s nice to have coach on someone quite experienced from another category. And yeah, I mean, like I said, it’d be difficult to learn from each other. But hopefully on track, we can have some good fights and, and then on the track, we can learn a bit with we can do and, and yeah, hopefully a bit of fun.”
For the Brazilian rookie, racing against established competitors offers another opportunity to sharpen his skills as he adjusts to the demands of F2 competition.
Avoiding rookie mistakes
As with many drivers entering their first F2 campaign, Câmara identified consistency as one of the most important challenges for the season ahead.
“I mean, it’s a new year. First year in the category. So I think the biggest challenge, I think, is to really kind of just avoid the rookie mistakes. And make the idea that I’m not like a rookie. So I think this is always the biggest challenge when you’re coming for your first year.”
“You want to make sure that you’re avoiding as much as you can mistakes that sometimes it’s normal to happen. But yeah, just trying to avoid this and make sure that it was a season that you maximise all the points and never really did a stupid mistake.”
Despite the competitive pressure of F2, Câmara also emphasised his desire to enjoy the experience.
“And yeah, and also what I’m looking forward to, I think, is just enjoy the season with the team. Learn as much as I can and put in place for the season. I mean, the last step before Formula One. Obviously, it’s a long way to be there. But I’m just trying to enjoy as much as I can this year. Because I think not many drivers get the opportunity to be in F2. And once I think when I started, I didn’t even imagine to be here. So just really enjoying this moment.”
Albert Park challenge
The opening round of the season takes place at the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne, a venue that presents its own set of challenges.
“I would say a bit of street circuit, so a bit lower grip than the tracks that make it a bit more interesting. Especially at the beginning, I think in FP you’re just making sure that you’re not overdoing anything because the grip is not the highest.”
“And yeah, I think it’s a very nice track, it’s a nice flow, especially in Quali, getting close to the walls at some places and yeah, just a nice place as well. So it’s a very good track to start the championship and yeah, especially this weekend where I think will be a good weather, so it will be fun.”
The semi-street layout often evolves significantly throughout the weekend, requiring drivers to manage grip levels carefully during practice and qualifying.
Building chemistry with his teammate
Câmara also highlighted the importance of collaboration within the team, particularly his working relationship with team-mate Josh.
“It’s been very nice. He’s a very good guy to work together. And yeah, just already from Abu Dhabi, just trying to see what he was doing and learn as much as I could from him. And I think this will be probably the whole championship, just trying to see and compare myself with things that I can always… because it’s always something that you can learn from your teammates.”
He believes that maintaining a strong working dynamic will help both drivers continue improving throughout the season.
“And yeah, I think we just build a good relationship also with the team. I think we did a good work together to be prepared here for Melbourne and hopefully through the year, we just get a better feeling and we just go on improving ourselves.”
