Friday ended with important news for Brazilian motorsport in Formula 1. Rafael Câmara stood out in the Haas test in Portimão and gained even more strength in the fight for a seat in 2027, while Ferrari, Mercedes, and Red Bull are already focusing on the next challenge of the season, the Italian GP.
Read more F1: Rafa Câmara beats rivals in Haas test for 2027 seat
Câmara completed two days of activities with the VF-25 alongside Leonardo Fornaroli and Ryo Hirakawa. Since the evaluation was conducted privately, Haas did not release the times, but information obtained by ge points out that the Pernambucan was the one who came closest to the reference set by the regular driver Oliver Bearman, staying ahead of the other two candidates. Besides the pace, the team evaluated aspects such as consistency, technical feedback, and work with the engineers. Câmara and Fornaroli appear as the main names linked to the possible vacancy of Esteban Ocon in 2027.
At Ferrari, the preparation for Monza includes important novelties. The team will bring a new engine and an aerodynamic package for their home race, seeking to react after McLaren’s recent progress. Charles Leclerc, however, warned that Mercedes remains a threat and rejected the idea that the German team has simply lost strength after the dominance shown at the start of the season.
Mercedes will also have a strategic issue to manage. Kimi Antonelli will already serve a penalty for power unit component changes at the Italian GP, and the team confirmed that George Russell will also need to receive a penalty at some point in 2026. At the same time, Andrew Shovlin admitted that the pace of updates will be slower than some rivals in the remainder of the championship.
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At McLaren, Lando Norris arrives boosted by two consecutive wins but does not expect it to be easy. The current champion described the final stretch of the championship as “very difficult,” while Andrea Stella highlighted the evolution presented by the Briton and stated that he is driving at the expected level of a world champion.
Red Bull, in turn, acknowledged that the evolution of the RB22 is still not enough. Laurent Mekies stated that the gap to the front dropped from more than a second to approximately three tenths, but made it clear that the team will only be satisfied when it wins again by its own performance. Max Verstappen also revealed that he intends to compete in GT3 races in the coming years.
The day also saw Aston Martin linked to a possible future power unit supplier change, the discussion about the return of V8 engines gaining ground, and Sergio Pérez talking about how long he still intends to stay in Formula 1. With the next weekend without a race, the focus now shifts to Monza, between September 4 and 6.
Read more F1: Ferrari brings new engine and aerodynamic package to Monza
