Rafa Camara to make F1 debut at Sao Paulo GP replacing Esteban Ocon

Rafa Camara will make his Formula 1 debut at his home race, the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, as a surprise replacement for Esteban Ocon. Camara had only been confirmed for the step up to F1 a few weeks earlier, and was leading the F2 championship going into the final rounds after winning the F3 title the year before in his rookie season.

Ocon was dropped by Haas after FP2 at the Mexico GP weekend, with Ryo Hirakawa taking his place for that event. Haas then announced that Ocon's season with the team had ended, and Camara stepped in for his debut in front of the home crowd.

Speaking on media day, Camara said he was very surprised by the move but happy to debut in front of a home crowd, and said he was looking to learn as much as he can and enjoy the weekend. His teammate Ollie Bearman had also made a similar last-minute debut, replacing Carlos Sainz at Ferrari in Jeddah.