It seemed like the logical step, but Rafael himself has confirmed it: Câmara will be stepping up to Formula 2 in 2026… or earlier.
The 2025 FIA Formula 3 champion, fresh off his Feature Race win in Hungary that sealed the title, confirmed on DAZN Spain that he is soon becoming a driver in the silver division. “Next year I’ll be in Formula 2”, declared the Brazilian.
The Ferrari junior will be joining fellow countryman Emerson Fittipaldi Jr. in the second tier of the F1 ladder next year. The son of the legendary Emerson Sr. became the first driver to be announced for the 2026 F2 season when the news of his signing for AIX broke, but will Câmara debut before him?
“I don’t know yet”, said the Trident driver to Brazilian news outlet Band about the possibility of entering the final few rounds of Formula 2. After the F3 season finale in Italy on September 7th, the silver division still has a good three months until its very own last race in Abu Dhabi (December 7th), and the possibility of entering said weekend, as well as the Azerbaijani and Qatari rounds, seems appealing to Câmara. “It would be good to get experience”, declared the 2024 FRECA champion to the São Paulo-based channel.
The last two FIA F3 champions, Gabriel Bortoleto (2023) and Leonardo Fornaroli (2024), both decided to sign for Invicta after their successful seasons with Trident. And with the Italian leading the F2 championship and the Alonso protégé winning it, it seems like the British outfit has been a good choice for the stars of the future. With the possibility of signing for the best project possible surely on his mind, Câmara also spoke to Band about his future team. “I have an idea, but I can’t talk about it”, stated the 20-year-old in a playful tone. “After Monza I will focus totally on Formula 2”.
What is more important, however, is the possibility of making it to F1: now-Stake driver Bortoleto, who was a McLaren junior during his F2-winning campaign in 2024, is already a multiple-times points-scorer and is fairing fairly well against veteran Nico Hülkenberg. Câmara has been a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy since 2022 and surely hopes the Scuderia will, at least partially, guide him to the brilliant future he is expected to have.
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