Rafael Camara will make his Formula 1 debut with Haas in 2027, bringing not only an impressive record in junior single-seater racing but also the backing of a substantial network of commercial partners. The 21-year-old Brazilian, who has progressed through the Ferrari Driver Academy, secured his place with the American team through his performance in a private test at Portimão. Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu insists that speed alone decided the appointment, although the driver’s existing sponsors could also create significant commercial opportunities for the team.
The Brazilian earned his opportunity after a Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) evaluation at Portimão involving Ryo Hirakawa, Leonardo Fornaroli and Jack Doohan. His selection follows an impressive progression through the junior categories, including victory in the 2024 Formula Regional European Championship and the 2025 Formula 3 title. He currently leads the Formula 2 standings with Invicta Racing.
The promotion marks another important achievement for Ferrari’s young-driver development programme, which has helped guide the Brazilian towards the highest level of motorsport. His progression through the junior categories and the confirmation of his Formula 1 opportunity are explored in our coverage of Rafael Camara’s promotion to Haas for 2027.
Ayao Komatsu insists Rafael Camara earned Haas seat through speed
Despite the extensive commercial support accompanying Rafael Camara into Formula 1, Haas has made it clear that financial considerations were not responsible for the decision to sign the Brazilian.
Team principal Ayao Komatsu explained that the driver’s performance during the selection process had provided the decisive evidence: “Rafael Camara simply showed incredible speed and sensitivity, so that was the deciding factor above everything else. In the Portimão TPC test, he was simply outstanding,” the Haas team principal said.
Ayao Komatsu also emphasised that financial backing did not influence the outcome because every driver involved in the evaluation already enjoyed commercial support. That included Ryo Hirakawa, who benefits from the backing of Toyota, the team’s title partner.
“I’ve always said that we take the fastest driver. If speed and talent had been equal, then a secondary factor would have come into play. But fortunately for us, it was clear that Rafa was the quickest. So we took him purely on that basis.”
The comments reinforce Haas’s position that the Brazilian’s selection was based on his driving ability rather than the financial advantages potentially associated with his arrival. The assessment also reflects the importance of his performance during the private evaluation, which followed months of interest in his development and his potential progression into Formula 1.
For Ferrari, the decision represents another significant step in the journey of one of its academy graduates. The Maranello team has also confirmed changes to its Ferrari Driver Academy line-up for 2027, with Rafael Camara moving on from the junior programme after earning a place on the Formula 1 grid.
Rafael Camara’s sponsors could bring commercial opportunities to Haas
Although Haas maintains that its sporting assessment was the only factor determining the driver’s appointment, the commercial prospects associated with Rafael Camara remain significant.
When asked whether some of the Brazilian’s existing supporters could follow him to Haas, Ayao Komatsu indicated that announcements would “probably” be forthcoming. The Brazilian arrives with an extensive group of partners representing several major industries, including banking, telecommunications, mining, environmental services, automotive batteries and energy logistics.
The companies involved vary considerably in size, financial position and previous Formula 1 experience. Some already have established connections with the championship, while others would be entering the sport for the first time if their support developed into a relationship with Haas.
Ambipar: an existing Ferrari partner facing financial difficulties
Ambipar operates in the environmental services sector and is one of Rafael Camara’s personal partners. The company generated approximately $1.2 billion in revenue in 2025, although its financial position has become increasingly complicated.
It is currently undergoing judicial recovery proceedings in Brazil and is under court-supervised administration in the United States, with debts of approximately $2 billion. Among the businesses associated with the Brazilian driver, Ambipar is the only one that already has a direct sponsorship agreement with a Formula 1 team.
The company became Ferrari’s official sustainability partner in February 2025, and its branding has remained visible on the Scuderia’s cars and racing suits despite the financial difficulties affecting the business.
This existing relationship with Ferrari gives Ambipar a different position from the other companies supporting Rafael Camara. However, its financial circumstances remain an important consideration when assessing the wider commercial picture surrounding the driver’s move to Haas.
Andalucita: a major mining company with no previous F1 involvement
Andalucita operates in the mining industry and is another personal sponsor of Rafael Camara.
The privately owned Peruvian producer manufactures approximately 40,000 tonnes of andalusite annually and is described as the third-largest producer of the mineral in the world. It is the only one of the seven businesses connected to the driver’s support network that is based outside Brazil and Mexico.
Unlike some of the other companies backing the Brazilian, Andalucita has no previous history of involvement in Formula 1. A possible continuation of its relationship with Rafael Camara at Haas could therefore represent its first association with the championship.
Bradesco: Brazilian banking giant confirms continued support
Bradesco is one of Brazil’s largest banking institutions, with a market capitalisation of approximately $45 billion.
The company has supported Rafael Camara since his Formula 3 career, maintaining its relationship with the Brazilian as he progressed towards Formula 1. Chief executive Marcelo Noronha has described the driver’s rise as the outcome of a long-term commitment made when reaching the highest level of motorsport still appeared to be a distant objective.
Bradesco already has an established presence in Brazilian motorsport, supporting Stock Car racing, TCR and Formula 4 Brazil. The bank has confirmed that it will continue backing Rafael Camara in Formula 1, representing its largest motorsport commitment to date.
Its continued involvement provides an example of the commercial relationships the Brazilian has developed during his junior career and which will remain relevant as he enters the world championship.
Claro: Carlos Slim’s telecommunications network extends into Haas
Claro is another significant name among Rafael Camara’s commercial supporters.
The telecommunications company belongs to América Móvil, the group controlled by Carlos Slim, which has a market capitalisation of approximately $70 billion. The connection with the Brazilian driver runs through the Escudería Telmex Telcel development programme, which has identified Rafael Camara as a “Claro driver”.
Claro is already a familiar name in Formula 1 thanks to its long-standing involvement with Latin American racing drivers. Its support for Sergio Pérez dates back to the Mexican driver’s Formula 1 debut with Sauber in 2011. The company also signed a personal sponsorship agreement with Alpine driver Franco Colapinto in 2025.
This established motorsport presence distinguishes Claro from sponsors that have never previously operated within Formula 1.
Escudería Telmex Telcel: a driver development programme with F1 experience
Escudería Telmex Telcel is a driver development programme supported by Carlos Slim’s telecommunications businesses.
Founded in 2002, the initiative has supported numerous Latin American racing drivers as they progressed through the motorsport categories, with Sergio Pérez becoming its most successful Formula 1 graduate.
Rafael Camara is among the drivers associated with the programme, which celebrated his Formula 2 victory in Barcelona as its 700th win. The organisation’s relationship with the Brazilian places him within an established development structure that has already helped drivers reach the highest level of international motorsport.
It also adds another dimension to the commercial network surrounding his forthcoming Haas debut, although the programme’s existing support should not automatically be interpreted as confirmation of a new team sponsorship agreement.
Moura: automotive battery manufacturer backs its home-region talent
Moura, a Brazilian company specialising in automotive batteries, is another prominent supporter of Rafael Camara.
The family-owned business reported net revenue of approximately $910 million in 2024 and operates seven manufacturing plants. Its headquarters are located in Belo Jardim, in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco, the same region from which Rafael Camara originates.
Moura joined the driver’s sponsorship portfolio in February, with its branding appearing on his Invicta Racing Formula 2 car. Andrea Lyra, the company’s director of marketing, product and institutional communications, described the Brazilian as a “representative of an entire generation” of athletes from the country.
The company has no recorded previous involvement in Formula 1, meaning the driver’s move to Haas could offer a potential route into the championship if the partnership is extended beyond its existing arrangement.
Transpetro: an energy logistics partner with links to Formula 1 history
Transpetro operates in the oil and gas logistics sector and is another personal partner of Rafael Camara.
Its parent company, Petrobras, reported approximately $98 billion in revenue in 2025, making it one of the largest businesses connected to the Brazilian driver’s commercial network. Although Transpetro’s support is linked directly to Rafael Camara, the wider corporate group has an established history in Formula 1 through Petrobras.
The energy company previously served as a fuel partner and sponsor of Williams, most recently in 2016. Petrobras subsequently entered a technical partnership with McLaren in 2019 covering the development of fuels and lubricants.
These previous relationships demonstrate the group’s familiarity with Formula 1, although they do not establish whether Transpetro will enter into a new commercial agreement with Haas.
What Rafael Camara’s arrival means for Haas and Ferrari in 2027
Rafael Camara’s promotion gives Haas a young driver with an impressive record in junior racing and a substantial network of commercial supporters.
The Brazilian’s achievements in Formula Regional, Formula 3 and Formula 2 provided the sporting credentials that persuaded the American team to select him following its evaluation programme. His progression can also be followed through the detailed Rafael Camara career profile and junior racing statistics, which trace the development of the Ferrari academy graduate towards Formula 1.
At the same time, his relationships with established companies across Latin America could offer Haas additional commercial opportunities as the team prepares for 2027. Some partners, including Bradesco, have already confirmed that their backing will continue into Formula 1, while the future involvement of others remains subject to potential announcements.
Ayao Komatsu has nevertheless been unequivocal about the basis of Haas’s decision. Rafael Camara was selected because the team considered him the quickest driver during its assessment, not because of the financial support available to him.
For Ferrari, the Brazilian’s arrival on the Formula 1 grid represents another successful progression through its driver academy. For Haas, his debut combines the sporting promise demonstrated at Portimão with the possibility of attracting further commercial support from an established network of sponsors.
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