Racing
© Jonathan Borba
Rafael Câmara completed his first Formula 1 test for Ferrari at the Hungaroring on 13 and 14 May, a significant step for one of the Italian team’s leading junior prospects as he pushes through his first Formula 2 season.
Ferrari revealed the running in a short social media video on Thursday, confirming Câmara’s first experience in an F1 car. The Brazilian drove the SF-25, the model used by Ferrari in the 2025 season, in a private outing that moves him closer to a possible official appearance during a grand prix weekend.
That matters because Câmara has built rapid momentum since joining the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2022. He won the Formula Regional European Championship in 2024 with a dominant campaign, then followed it by taking the Formula 3 title last year. Ferrari’s decision to give him F1 mileage now is the clearest sign yet that his development path is moving into its next phase.
Câmara arrived at the test already carrying strong form from Formula 2. Racing for Invicta in 2026, he has scored two podiums in the opening four rounds and sits second in the championship standings. That combination of recent junior titles and immediate competitiveness in F2 makes this first Ferrari test more than a ceremonial reward. It places him in the group of academy drivers being prepared for higher-level opportunities.
The next question is when that preparation will become visible in an official session. Ferrari has not said when Câmara could make his debut on a race weekend, and there has been no indication of whether he would step into the car in place of Charles Leclerc or Lewis Hamilton when that moment comes.
That uncertainty is important in the current regulatory context. Teams are required to run rookies in at least four free-practice sessions, and each full-time driver must hand over his car on at least two weekends. Private mileage at a track like the Hungaroring does not settle Ferrari’s rookie-session plans, but it gives Câmara relevant experience before the team has to make those choices in public.
For Câmara, the test marks a clear change in status. He is no longer only a successful Ferrari academy driver with junior titles and early F2 results. He is now a driver with his first Ferrari F1 laps completed, and that makes any future decision over the team’s mandatory rookie sessions more immediate and more meaningful.