Ocon to skip the rest of F1 2026 with Camara to debut for Haas in Brazil

The Haas Formula 1 team has decided that Esteban Ocon will not race again for the squad, with 2027 rookie Rafael Camara getting an early debut this weekend on home soil.

Following increasingly strained relations between Ocon and the squad, a heated argument in Mexico proved the final straw that made team principal Ayao Komatsu decide to bench the Frenchman.

Reserve driver and Toyota protege Ryo Hirakawa replaced him from Saturday onwards in Mexico, going on to score a point on debut in 10th place. The team has now confirmed Ocon, who is a free agent next year, will not return.

"We have now notified Esteban Ocon that he will not return to a race seat with TGR Haas F1 Team this season," Komatsu explained.

"Such decisions are never made lightly, as was the case in Mexico City - but then, as now, we feel this is firmly in the best interest of the team moving forward.

"The conversations that ultimately unfolded between the team and Esteban remain an internal matter, and we will continue to respect the private nature of closed-door situations."

Ferrari junior Camara, who had already been signed by Haas to replace Ocon for 2027, will take the wheel of the VF-26 at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

The 21-year-old, who currently leads the Formula 2 standings and made a stellar impression on Haas in private testing, will have the opportunity to begin his F1 career several months ahead of schedule.

The final green light came on Tuesday afternoon, although Camara had already been placed on standby during the Mexico Grand Prix weekend following Ocon's sudden removal from the Haas line-up. 

It is not yet confirmed whether Camara or Hirakawa will race for the team in the remaining rounds at Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi, with it likely being a combination of both drivers.

Rafa Camara has conducted private testing in older machinery with both Ferrari and Haas.

Photo by: Davide Cavazza

Camara has never driven a 2026 F1 car, but will not arrive at his high-pressure home debut unprepared. During the season, he has completed five Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) outings, four at the wheel of Ferrari's SF-25 and one driving the Haas VF-25.

The latter took place in August at Portimao in Portugal and played a crucial role in convincing the US-owned team of his natural ability.

"Looking ahead, we've chosen Rafael Camara to drive alongside Ollie Bearman at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix," Komatsu confirmed.

"Having excelled in his TPC outing in August, we know Rafael's capabilities and we're looking forward to welcoming him into the team this weekend and working with him through his Formula 1 debut driving the VF-26 in Brazil."

The change of plans will also have consequences for Ferrari. Friday morning's FP1 session, originally allocated to Camara, will instead be handed to Dino Beganovic, giving the Swedish driver another opportunity to get behind the wheel of the Maranello team's car.