Autosport and RaceFans have reported:

Rafa Camara will make his Formula 1 debut at his home São Paulo Grand Prix this weekend after Haas confirmed Esteban Ocon will not return to its race seat this season. The Brazilian, a Ferrari junior who is already signed to replace Ocon at Haas in 2027, will drive the team’s VF-26 at Interlagos alongside Ollie Bearman.

Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu said the team had informed Ocon of the decision. “We have now notified Esteban Ocon that he will not return to a race seat with TGR Haas F1 Team this season,” he said.

“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.”

Ocon was replaced by Haas test driver Ryo Hirakawa during last weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix. Ocon took part in Friday’s second practice session and had been due to drive for the rest of the weekend, but Haas announced on Friday morning that Hirakawa would take his place. Hirakawa had driven Ocon’s car in the first practice session and went on to finish 10th, scoring a point on his debut.

Ocon later said there had been a difference of opinion between him and the team. During second practice, he challenged race engineer Laure Mueller’s instruction on tyre strategy. Ocon strongly denied claims that “physical violence was used to resolve any differences”. Komatsu has not explained the team’s reasons for dropping him, while Haas has said the discussions with Ocon remain private.

Relations between Ocon and the team had become increasingly strained, and a heated argument in Mexico was described as the final straw for Komatsu. Ocon is a free agent next year. Haas had announced last month that he would not drive for the team in 2027, when Camara was due to take his seat.

Camara currently leads the Formula 2 standings and impressed Haas in private testing. He had been placed on standby during the Mexican Grand Prix weekend after Ocon’s sudden removal, while the team assessed its options for the rest of the season. The final approval for Camara’s Brazil start came on Tuesday afternoon.

Although Camara has never driven a 2026 Formula 1 car, he has completed five Testing of Previous Cars outings this season: four in Ferrari’s SF-25 and one in Haas’s VF-25. The Haas test took place in August at Portimão, Portugal, and helped persuade the team of his ability. Komatsu said Camara had “excelled in his TPC [Testing of Previous Cars] outing in August.”

“We know Rafa’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,” Komatsu said. The team has not said whether Camara or Hirakawa will drive in the final three rounds at Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi, and a combination of the two is considered likely.

The change also affects Ferrari’s Friday morning first practice session. Camara had been scheduled to drive for the Maranello team, but that opportunity will now go to Swedish driver Dino Beganovic.