Brazilian rising star Rafael Câmara, fresh from conquering the FIA Formula 3 Championship title, is already turning his attention to the next chapter of his career, joining Invicta Racing for the 2026 F2 season. The Ferrari Driver Academy-backed driver claimed a record-five pole positions and four victories this F3 campaign, underlining his readiness for the step up. Câmara views the partnership with Invicta as the perfect platform to chase the next crown.
“I’m joining a team that has fought for both Championships two years in a row,” Câmara said. “They’ve shown that they are a very strong team, so it’s like it’s up to me really.“
“I think they’re having another great year this year, but it’s never going to be easy next time. It’s never easy performing at the highest level. That’s why I’ll be working during this off-season period to make sure that when we start together, we’ll be in good shape and ready to fight for another Championship.”
Preparations for the 2025 season
Although Câmara has not yet visited Invicta Racing’s UK base, he is already getting involved via simulator work and has plans to attend the 2025 F2 season finale to shadow the team and better understand how they operate heading into 2026.
“I haven’t been to visit the team yet, they are busy with Qatar and Abu Dhabi preparations, but I have done some sim work with them to prepare for those races. I’ll be going to Abu Dhabi to watch the team and meet everyone.”
“Then we will start working together in the post-season test. I think going to see how the team works before will be useful, as it’s good to know people before you start working together so you’re already comfortable.”
Walking in the path of previous Champions
Câmara recognises that he’s walking into a pathway that other F3 champions have trodden, notably compatriot Gabriel Bortoleto and Leonardo Fornaroli, but he insists his focus remains purely on himself and what he can control.
“It’s good to see that they’ve both had a good year with Invicta. They’ve adapted well to the team, were straight up to speed and feeling good with them.”
“They’re a good team, they have a good car, so I’ll make sure that I’m prepared well so hopefully I can get some good results too.”
“You always focus on things that are in your control, so on my side, I’m preparing as normal, maybe a bit more on the physical side as F2 is a bit more demanding. After that, it’s about creating a positive relationship with the team, but the approach to every Championship for me remains the same.”
“You have to be consistent and make sure that you don’t waste energy on things that are outside of your control. You need resilience to win a Championship, and I think I’m very focused on that from my side, so I won’t be making comparisons with them, I’ll just be focused on myself and trying my best to execute.”
Staying in Brazil for the time being
Off the track, his immediate focus is balancing downtime with preparation. He is currently in Brazil with family, will return to Europe to spend time in the team’s simulator and then join Invicta during the Qatar and Abu Dhabi rounds before post-season testing kicks off.
“I’m in Brazil at the moment, but I’ll be coming back to Europe to do some sim with the team, and then I’ll head to Qatar with Invicta, learn about how they work on a race weekend and then it’s testing.”
“It will be useful for me to see what happens at the team at the track. After that I head to Maranello for a few days, but then I go back to Brazil to stay with my family to finish up the year.”
