Haas has confirmed that Ferrari Driver Academy youngster Rafael Câmara will replace Esteban Ocon for the 2026 São Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos, with the Brazilian also set to race in Las Vegas. The American team has decided that the French driver will not return to a race seat for the remainder of the Formula 1 season, following an internal dispute with team principal Ayao Komatsu.
The unexpected development follows the events of the Mexico City Grand Prix, where Esteban Ocon was benched to make way for Ryo Hirakawa. Haas initially declined to explain the decision, stating only that the change was not related to health reasons. Reports in the following days pointed to a heated discussion between Ayao Komatsu and the French driver, although Esteban Ocon subsequently used social media to deny allegations of a physical altercation.
Nevertheless, the disagreement led the Haas team principal to replace Esteban Ocon in Mexico, and the decision has now become permanent for the remainder of 2026. The Frenchman will not return to the cockpit this season, with Ferrari junior Rafael Câmara stepping in alongside Oliver Bearman for the upcoming races in Brazil and Las Vegas.
Why Haas has chosen Rafael Câmara to replace Esteban Ocon
At the Mexico City Grand Prix, Haas gave Ryo Hirakawa the opportunity to race because the Japanese driver was already present at the circuit and had participated in the opening practice session. The decision was also welcomed by Toyota, a major sponsor of the American team.
However, Ryo Hirakawa will not be available for the São Paulo Grand Prix because of his commitments in the World Endurance Championship (WEC). This prompted Ayao Komatsu, working in collaboration with Ferrari, to consider bringing forward Rafael Câmara’s Formula 1 race debut.
Ferrari was open to the proposal, allowing the Brazilian youngster to make his debut during the 2026 season rather than waiting for the following year. The opportunity follows his progression through the Ferrari Driver Academy and his performances in Formula 2, which have strengthened his prospects of competing at the highest level.
The development also represents a significant change from the earlier expectation that Rafael Câmara would make his official Grand Prix weekend practice debut with Ferrari at Interlagos. Instead, the Brazilian is now set to take part in the race itself with Haas.
Fred Vasseur confirms Ferrari’s support for Rafael Câmara
Following the Mexico City Grand Prix, Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur had already confirmed the Maranello team’s full commitment to supporting Rafael Câmara, while declining to interfere in Haas’s internal decisions.
“I won’t comment on what happens at Haas, but Ferrari supports Câmara. He has done a very good job in F2 and the season isn’t over yet. We’ll have time to talk about it. As for the rest, I already have enough to deal with concerning my two drivers. Ayao will make his own decisions. He’s a very good team principal, and we’ll support whatever decisions they make.”
The comments underline Ferrari’s willingness to back its young driver without attempting to dictate Haas’s sporting decisions. Rafael Câmara’s promotion also builds on the existing relationship between the two teams, with Ferrari’s driver development programme already playing an important role in Haas’s future line-up.
Haas confirms Esteban Ocon will not race again in 2026
After several days of consideration, Haas evaluated Esteban Ocon’s position, Ryo Hirakawa’s availability and the possibility of accelerating Rafael Câmara’s debut at the Brazilian Grand Prix. The team ultimately decided to pursue the latter option, also taking into account its preparations and development work for 2027.
For now, the decision covers the next two events, São Paulo and Las Vegas, while the team awaits further clarity over the 2026 calendar, including the situation surrounding races in the Middle East and Imola.
Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu formally explained the decision and confirmed that Esteban Ocon would not return to a full-time race seat for the remainder of the season.
“We have informed Esteban Ocon that he will not return to a race seat with Haas for the remainder of the season. Decisions of this kind are never taken lightly – as was previously the case in Mexico City – but both then and now, we believe this decision is in the best interests of the team looking to the future.
“The discussions between the team and Esteban remain an internal matter; we will continue to respect the confidential nature of those discussions.
“Looking ahead, we have chosen Rafael Câmara to partner Ollie Bearman at the São Paulo Grand Prix. Having already demonstrated great talent during the TPC session in August, we know Rafa’s abilities very well. We look forward to welcoming him to the team this weekend and working with him as he makes his Formula 1 debut behind the wheel of the VF-26 in Brazil.”
The decision gives Rafael Câmara an opportunity to demonstrate his abilities in competitive Formula 1 conditions, while Haas begins working with its revised driver line-up ahead of 2027. For Ferrari, the Brazilian’s promotion represents another important step in the development of one of its academy drivers.
His first race appearance will take place at Interlagos, with the 2026 São Paulo Grand Prix weekend scheduled for 6–8 November.
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