Charles Leclerc was forced to take evasive action during second practice for the 2026 São Paulo Grand Prix after encountering Rafael Câmara on the approach to the final corner at Interlagos. The incident prompted an FIA stewards’ investigation and a disagreement between Bernie Collins and Jolyon Palmer, with the former McLaren strategist highlighting an unexpected consequence of Formula 1’s 2026 power unit regulations while the former F1 driver blamed the Haas rookie’s inexperience.
The Ferrari driver was completing a qualifying simulation when he rapidly closed on Câmara, who was preparing to begin a flying lap. With insufficient room available on the outside of Turn 14, Leclerc had to leave the racing surface and use the run-off area to avoid contact. Both drivers were subsequently summoned by the stewards, but their near-miss also raised a broader question about the substantial speed differences created by the new generation of Formula 1 engines.
Bernie Collins explains how 2026 F1 engine rules contributed to Charles Leclerc incident
For Bernie Collins, the encounter between Charles Leclerc and Rafael Câmara was not necessarily a straightforward example of a slower driver obstructing a faster car. Instead, she suggested that the power deployment characteristics of the 2026 Formula 1 engines played an important role in creating the situation.
Speaking during Sky Sports F1’s coverage on Friday, 6 November, the former McLaren strategist explained that drivers preparing to begin a qualifying lap previously accelerated aggressively from the exit of Turn 12, Juncão, at the bottom of the hill leading towards the start-finish straight.
Under the previous regulations, a driver beginning a timed lap and another completing one would generally have been travelling at relatively similar speeds through that section. The introduction of the 2026 power unit regulations has changed that relationship.
Collins explained that Câmara appeared to be preparing for his flying lap in the conventional manner and was already using full throttle. However, the available electrical energy deployment was restricting the speed of his Haas, leaving him travelling considerably more slowly than Leclerc, who was approaching at the end of a timed run.
The difference was particularly significant on the uphill section of the Interlagos circuit, where the Ferrari driver was rapidly closing the gap as the two cars approached Turn 14.
According to Collins, the Brazilian rookie might also have been nervous, while Haas could have considered a warning about the approaching Ferrari unnecessary. Nevertheless, she believed that the fundamental difference in speed between drivers starting and finishing laps was an important development that teams and drivers would need to consider during qualifying sessions.
Her assessment introduced a technical explanation for an incident that might otherwise have been attributed entirely to driver judgement. The issue concerned how the 2026 power unit deployment characteristics affected cars preparing to start flying laps, rather than simply whether Câmara had accelerated sufficiently.
Such situations add another dimension to the challenges created by Formula 1’s new technical regulations, alongside the wider questions surrounding Ferrari’s technical performance and power unit behaviour throughout the season.
Jolyon Palmer disagrees and blames Rafael Câmara’s inexperience
Jolyon Palmer offered a different interpretation of the incident during F1TV’s coverage, placing greater emphasis on Câmara’s positioning and awareness rather than the technical limitations of his car.
The former Renault Formula 1 driver believed the Haas rookie had demonstrated a degree of inexperience by failing to anticipate the arrival of Charles Leclerc.
Palmer pointed to the Brazilian’s movement across the circuit as the decisive problem. In his assessment, Câmara had drifted towards the middle of the track before moving back towards the racing line just as the Ferrari driver appeared to believe that space was becoming available.
That movement left Leclerc with insufficient room to continue along his intended line, forcing him to take evasive action and enter the run-off area at Turn 14.
While Collins considered the impact of the 2026 energy deployment rules, Palmer viewed the situation primarily as a mistake in track positioning by a driver still adapting to Formula 1.
The contrasting assessments demonstrated how the same incident could be interpreted from two different perspectives. One focused on the technical circumstances that produced the closing-speed difference, while the other concentrated on whether Câmara had positioned his Haas appropriately as the Ferrari approached.
Charles Leclerc and Rafael Câmara summoned by FIA stewards after FP2 near-miss
The incident occurred during the qualifying simulation runs in Friday’s second practice session at the São Paulo Grand Prix. Leclerc was approaching the end of a timed lap through Subida dos Boxes, while Câmara was preparing to cross the timing line and begin his own flying lap.
The Ferrari driver had to react when the Haas failed to leave enough room on the outside of the circuit. The two cars came close to making contact, with Leclerc ultimately avoiding the Brazilian rookie by using the run-off area.
Following the session, the FIA summoned both drivers to discuss the circumstances of the impeding incident before deciding whether further action was required.
The encounter was particularly notable because Câmara had developed through the Ferrari Driver Academy before receiving his Formula 1 opportunity with Haas. His appearance at Interlagos therefore brought him into direct contact with one of the Scuderia’s established drivers during his first weekend competing in the championship.
For Leclerc, the interruption came during an important qualifying simulation, when a clear track was essential to completing a representative lap. The incident also demonstrated the challenges associated with managing traffic when cars are travelling at significantly different speeds through the same section of the circuit.
Readers can follow further developments involving the Monegasque through the latest Charles Leclerc and Ferrari coverage, including his qualifying performances and technical challenges throughout the 2026 season.
Rafael Câmara’s difficult Formula 1 debut at his home Grand Prix
For Rafael Câmara, the incident added an unwelcome complication to an already demanding first Formula 1 appearance. The 21-year-old Brazilian, who comes from Recife, had been selected by Haas to replace Esteban Ocon for the São Paulo Grand Prix.
Despite racing on home soil, Câmara had never previously competed at Interlagos in any category during his progression through the junior motorsport ranks. The Brazilian Grand Prix therefore represented both his first Formula 1 race weekend and his first competitive experience at the circuit.
Friday also marked his first opportunity to drive the Haas VF-26 at any venue, increasing the challenge of adapting to the car while learning the characteristics of the circuit.
Haas had selected Câmara ahead of Jack Doohan for the temporary vacancy, with reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa unavailable to continue in the role he had occupied at the preceding Mexico City Grand Prix because of a scheduling conflict with the World Endurance Championship.
Hirakawa, who also competes for Toyota in the WEC, had been credited with a championship point after finishing tenth on his Formula 1 debut in Mexico.
Haas had confirmed Câmara for the Brazilian Grand Prix before his planned promotion to a full-time race seat in 2027, although his participation in the remaining rounds of the 2026 season had not yet been settled.
Against that background, the incident with Leclerc represented another demanding learning experience for the Brazilian as he began adapting to Formula 1 machinery and the procedures surrounding Grand Prix weekends.
How Rafael Câmara compared with Oliver Bearman in Brazil FP2
The difficulties of Câmara’s first practice appearance were also reflected in the timing classification. The Brazilian completed FP2 in 16th position, finishing 0.570 seconds behind Haas team-mate Oliver Bearman, who secured tenth place.
Câmara was also 1.798 seconds away from the fastest lap of the session, which was set by Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Those results provided an early indication of the challenge facing the newcomer, although his lack of experience with both the VF-26 and the Interlagos circuit made the session particularly demanding.
The session’s lap-time differences can be explored through the Formula 1 practice and long-run analysis tool, which allows comparisons between drivers during practice sessions.
The impeding incident remained one of the most significant moments of the Brazilian’s Friday, particularly because it led to both Câmara and Leclerc being called before the FIA stewards.
Will Rafael Câmara race again for Haas before joining full-time in 2027?
At the time of his Brazilian Grand Prix appearance, Câmara’s participation in the remaining three rounds of the 2026 championship had not been confirmed.
Haas had yet to determine whether the Brazilian would also compete at the Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix before making his permanent move to the team in 2027.
The situation was complicated by his Formula 2 commitments. Câmara was leading the F2 championship standings, while the final two rounds of that series clashed with the Formula 1 weekends in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, at Lusail and Yas Marina respectively.
Those scheduling conflicts created uncertainty over whether he could gain additional Formula 1 race experience before the end of the season.
For Ferrari, however, the most immediate consequence of Câmara’s appearance at Interlagos was the near-collision involving Charles Leclerc. The contrasting explanations offered by Bernie Collins and Jolyon Palmer underlined the difficulty of separating driver judgement from the technical characteristics of Formula 1’s new power units.
With the 2026 regulations creating different speed profiles for cars beginning and completing qualifying laps, the incident raised an important consideration for future sessions: how teams and drivers should manage traffic when a car preparing to start a flying lap may be substantially slower than one approaching the timing line at full speed.
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