Haas face one of the remaining major decisions on the Formula 1 driver market as the team considers whether to retain Esteban Ocon for 2027 or choose from a group of alternatives that includes Ferrari junior Rafael Camara. The decision carries wider significance for Gene Haas because signing Camara would leave both of his race seats occupied by drivers closely connected to Ferrari.
Oliver Bearman is already committed to a third season with Haas and remains part of the Ferrari Driver Academy, while Camara has emerged as another serious candidate for the second seat. Jack Doohan, Leonardo Fornaroli and Toyota-backed Ryo Hirakawa are also under consideration after all four were given opportunities to demonstrate their potential in testing.
Ocon has at least shown signs of improvement in recent races. His 11th-place finish in Madrid was his best result since he last scored points at Monaco, but the Frenchman remains under pressure as Haas assess their options for next season. The team’s recent performances can also be followed through the 2026 Formula 1 results.
Gene Haas wary of giving Ferrari too much influence over 2027 line-up
Rafael Camara’s candidacy presents Haas with a particularly interesting choice. The Brazilian won the Formula 3 championship last year and currently sits second in the Formula 2 standings after recording two victories and six podium finishes this season.
His progress makes him an attractive sporting option, but the wider relationship between Haas and Ferrari complicates the decision. Signing Camara alongside Bearman would mean both race drivers were members of the Maranello team’s development system, potentially inviting comparisons with the relationship between Red Bull and Racing Bulls.
Haas already has extensive technical links with Ferrari. The American operation uses the Italian manufacturer’s power unit, steering system and transmission, although it has so far retained control over its driver choices. Bearman’s move into Formula 1 was itself the culmination of his development with Ferrari before he joined Haas, a pathway he previously discussed when reflecting on his Ferrari debut and move to Haas.
According to Formula 1 journalist Joe Saward, speaking on the 2 Guys, A Girl and F1 podcast, Ferrari is interested in seeing Camara graduate from Formula 2 to Haas. Saward indicated that the Maranello team would be prepared to provide financial support for such an arrangement, potentially through reduced costs for components supplied to Haas.
However, Saward explained that Gene Haas does not want the team to evolve into a junior operation for Ferrari. The same concern reportedly applies to Hirakawa because of his links to Toyota, which has developed a growing relationship with Haas.
From Gene Haas’s perspective, Saward suggested, committing both available seats to drivers tied to external partners could reduce the team’s independence. With Bearman already carrying Ferrari backing, placing another Ferrari junior alongside him would leave both cars associated with the same manufacturer. Choosing Hirakawa would create a different version of the same concern because of Toyota’s involvement.
Jack Doohan and Leonardo Fornaroli offer different alternatives
The other candidates bring different considerations. Jack Doohan is already a Haas reserve driver, although Saward indicated that the Australian does not have significant financial backing behind his candidacy. Leonardo Fornaroli, meanwhile, has won both the Formula 3 and Formula 2 championships but currently has no obvious route into a Formula 1 race seat.
Saward described the process as involving five candidates overall, with the eventual choice likely to reveal much about Gene Haas’s longer-term ambitions for the organisation. The underlying question, in his view, is whether Haas wants to continue building a more independent and ambitious Formula 1 operation or become increasingly reliant on its larger technical and commercial partners.
A decision is expected within days, making the second Haas seat one of the most important unresolved elements of the 2027 driver market.
Could Haas finances influence the 2027 driver decision?
Financial considerations could still play an important role. Haas are seventh in the constructors’ championship after collecting 21 points, with 17 of those arriving during the opening three rounds of the season. Their current position can be tracked in the Formula 1 constructor standings.
The team have subsequently been outdeveloped by Racing Bulls, Alpine and Audi. Haas have also acknowledged that they are unable to spend the full amount permitted under Formula 1’s cost cap, meaning additional financial support from Ferrari, Toyota or another source could provide valuable resources.
That creates a difficult balance between short-term financial benefits and Gene Haas’s desire to retain control over his operation. A discounted Ferrari parts arrangement linked to Camara could be attractive, but it would also deepen an already substantial relationship with Maranello.
There are signs that Haas are trying to increase their independence in other areas. Although the team currently uses Ferrari’s simulator, it is developing its own facility. That investment fits with the broader strategic question surrounding the 2027 driver choice: how much of Haas’s future should remain tied to external technical partners?
Oliver Bearman has strengthened his position at Haas
One seat is not in doubt. Oliver Bearman has proved to be a successful addition to Ayao Komatsu’s line-up, averaging 1.5 points per race since joining Haas. According to the figures presented, that is the highest average achieved by any driver in the team’s Formula 1 history.
Bearman’s continued presence means Haas can concentrate entirely on deciding who will partner him. With Alpine, Audi and Williams having already settled their driver pairings, while Aston Martin are focused on keeping Fernando Alonso, Haas have a broad pool of available candidates from which to choose.
The wider driver market is therefore narrowing as the 2026 Formula 1 season progresses. Cadillac have yet to confirm their own 2027 line-up, although Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas are considered likely to remain.
For Haas, however, the decision goes beyond simply choosing between Ocon, Camara, Hirakawa, Doohan and Fornaroli. The eventual selection could also provide the clearest indication yet of how Gene Haas intends to balance Ferrari and Toyota support with his desire to preserve the team’s independence.
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