Ferrari fast-tracks Camara with first F1 test

Ferrari gave Rafael Camara his first Formula 1 outing in a private two-day test at the Hungaroring, an unusually early step for a driver still in his rookie Formula 2 season and one that points to a more serious long-term evaluation than a routine junior reward run.

The 21-year-old Brazilian drove the SF-25 under TPC rules during the session between Ferrari’s Formula 1 races in Miami and Montreal. For Camara, it was his first experience in F1 machinery at a stage when many drivers do not get that chance until later in their F2 careers.

That timing is what makes the test significant. Ferrari has increasingly used TPC running for academy drivers who are producing results in Formula 2, but Camara’s case stands out because the team is already checking how he adapts to Formula 1 while he is still learning F2. The move fits with the pace of his rise through Ferrari’s system and suggests Maranello is looking at him as more than just another prospect.

Camara joined the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2021 and has moved quickly since then, winning the Formula Regional European Championship and Formula 3 titles in successive seasons before stepping up to Formula 2. He has opened his rookie F2 campaign with two podiums, putting himself near the front of the standings and strengthening the impression that Ferrari is accelerating its assessment of where he might fit in the future.

Asked about his progress with the academy, Camara said Ferrari’s support has gone well beyond results. “I joined Ferrari in 2021 and joined the academy. Since then, they’ve really helped me,” he said. He added that the guidance covered “especially how to approach championship fights and preparation, and how to deal with the season as a whole,” as well as “the approach every weekend, preparation outside the circuit, and also the mental and physical aspects.”

He said that work also changed his understanding of what is required at a higher level. “I think I’ve been able to understand responsibility too,” Camara said. “When you’re younger, you sometimes don’t realize how important it is. But they really helped with that part.”

Camara described his time with Ferrari as “a great partnership” and said he wants to make the team proud through the work they are doing together. The more important message from Hungary, though, is Ferrari’s own level of commitment: giving a rookie F2 driver his first F1 test this early strengthens the view that Camara is already on the team’s radar as a genuine long-term option, with reports also describing him as a candidate for a future Ferrari Friday practice appearance.