Friday ended with an important piece of news for Brazilian motorsport in Formula 1. Rafael Câmara stood out in Haas’ test in Portimão and gained even more momentum in the battle for a 2027 seat, while Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull are already focusing on the next challenge of the season, the Italian Grand Prix.
Câmara completed two days of activity with the VF-25 alongside Leonardo Fornaroli and Ryo Hirakawa. Since the evaluation was held behind closed doors, Haas did not disclose times, but information obtained by ge indicates that the Pernambuco driver was the closest to the benchmark set by the main driver Oliver Bearman, finishing ahead of the other two candidates. In addition to pace, the team evaluated aspects such as consistency, technical feedback and collaboration with the engineers. Câmara and Fornaroli emerge as the leading names connected to the possible Esteban Ocon seat in 2027.
At Ferrari, preparations for Monza include significant updates. The team will bring a new engine and an aerodynamic package to its home race, aiming to respond after McLaren’s recent progress. Charles Leclerc, however, warned that Mercedes remains a threat and dismissed the idea that the German squad has simply lost strength after the domination shown at the start of the season.
The Mercedes squad will also have a strategic issue to manage. Kimi Antonelli will already incur a penalty for a power unit component change at the Italian Grand Prix, and the team confirmed that George Russell will also need a punishment at some point in 2026. Meanwhile, Andrew Shovlin admitted that the pace of upgrades will be slower than that of some rivals as the championship progresses.
At McLaren, Lando Norris arrives pumped by two straight victories, but he does not anticipate an easy road. The current champion described the season’s final stretch as “very difficult,” while Andrea Stella highlighted the improvements shown by the British driver and stated that he is driving at the level expected of a world champion.
The Red Bull squad, in turn, acknowledged that the RB22’s development is still not enough. Laurent Mekies stated that the gap to the front has narrowed from more than a second to roughly three tenths, but made it clear that the team will only be satisfied when it wins again based on its own performance. Max Verstappen also revealed that he intends to race GT3 events in the coming years.
The day also saw Aston Martin linked to a potential future supplier change for power units, the discussion about bringing back V8 engines gaining momentum, and Sergio Pérez talking about how long he still plans to remain in Formula 1. With the next weekend free of racing, the focus now shifts to Monza, from September 4 to 6.
