Rafael Câmara will be among the drivers evaluated by Haas next week amid the ongoing Formula 1 market decisions. The Brazilian will participate in a test with historic cars in Portimão alongside Ryo Hirakawa and Leonardo Fornaroli.
According to Motorsport.com’s reporting, the three names appear among the candidates for the seat currently held by Esteban Ocon, whose stay for the upcoming season is not yet guaranteed. Haas boss Ayao Komatsu confirmed during the team’s media day in the Netherlands that the activity will be used to observe the selected drivers.
“If we weren’t interested in hiring these drivers, we wouldn’t be doing this—the test,” Komatsu stated. “In fact, we have several drivers interested. It’s really nice that other people are genuinely interested in us.”
The executive also highlighted that the interest in the team persists even in a challenging sporting moment. “At the moment, we aren’t performing that well. We can’t fight for points, but I think it’s good that other drivers can see our potential within the limitations we face and the entire effort we are putting in to improve the team.”
Komatsu added that Haas views this external interest as a positive signal. “We simply regard it as a compliment, the fact that other drivers are interested in us.”
Câmara arrives at the test amid growing speculation about his future. Recently, Formula 1’s official reporter, Lawrence Barretto, pointed to the Pernambuco-born driver as the favorite to take the Haas seat. The Brazilian currently sits third in Formula 2, with 145 points, 22 behind the leader Nikola Tsolov.
The Portimão evaluation, therefore, emerges as a concrete step in Haas’ process of assessing options before determining its lineup for the next season.
