OUR VERDICT ON HAAS SIGNING CAMARA FOR F1 2027

Haas—F1's lone American team—locked in Ferrari junior Rafael Camara to replace Esteban Ocon for 2027, setting up its most compelling driver pairing in years. The decision hinged on a Portimao test where Camara ran so quick that team brass believe Ollie Bearman, who drove briefly as a reference, wouldn't have matched him even with a full program. That's Camara's signature: consecutive titles climbing from karting through F4, FREC, and F3, plus elite raw speed in F2. The rough edges are real—his racecraft and error rate need work—but pure pace gets you to F1, and Camara has it.

For Bearman, this is the test. He's dispatched Ocon comfortably, but Camara brings similar Ferrari backing and genuine threat. Two kids racing to prove themselves worthy of the Scuderia, with Lewis Hamilton's seat looming as the ultimate prize. Haas gets a proper shootout heading into 2027.