Camara experiences every condition going in ‘tricky’ Haas debut

While Rafael Camara saw the chequered flag in a “tricky” debut race for Haas last weekend, the Brazilian faced with the tough task of navigating his first Grand Prix on home soil and in changeable conditions.

The F2 star had already been announced as one of Haas’ drivers for next season, but when the team opted not to field Esteban Ocon, Camara was given the opportunity to make his debut ahead of schedule.

He was able to take part in all three practice sessions to try and find his way with the VF-26, but those were completed in the dry – Qualifying was another matter. The heavens opened, the track was red flagged and Camara was faced with some of the most difficult conditions in recent memory.

He hit the barriers in Q1, had the composure to get back to the pits with a broken front wing, and the guts to go back out and stick another lap in – which was good enough for Q2. But then the rookie crashed out at the end of that segment, locking up and going straight into the barriers.

“I was just a bit unlucky in the last corner, locking up, and then trying to make the corner, but it was really not possible," was his mature take on how Saturday had gone.

"In a way, I’m a bit disappointed with the mistakes, as I know for the team, that’s not what they want, but overall I think it was a positive session.”

With rain falling again on Sunday, conditions were not getting any easier for Camara, who started 11th thanks to grid penalties for some ahead. He lost ground off the line and skated wide again, but was able to keep going and finished in 20th place.

“It definitely wasn’t an easy one, with all the conditions out there we experienced over the course of one race. In the beginning, it was about staying on track, and there were a couple of mistakes – it was a bit tricky,” he admitted.

“The positive is that there was no damage today and lots learned, but there’s still a lot more to learn for the future. I think there are a lot of things to go through with the team and put in place for next time.

“On one side, I was trying to enjoy my first race in Formula 1, at home, so it was nice – but I think on my side, I wasn’t fully satisfied with how we finished today. It was a weekend where I think I must’ve nearly experienced everything, so I’ve learned a lot for the future.”

Ollie Bearman in the other Haas car started in the top 10 and came home in 17th after a slow pit stop, so both drivers went backwards in Brazil on a tough day that saw Audi close to within three points of the American outfit in the fight for seventh in the constructors’ battle.

Given the Brazilian finished at Interlagos, experiencing a drying track, the crossover between intermediate and slick tyres and then the pitfalls of slithering back to the pits for more inters as the rain fell, he has ticked a fair few boxes on debut, and impressed people in the paddock.

"I had a look [on Saturday], until the last corner, he did a mega lap at the beginning of the Quali, and this lap would have been a super lap," Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur said of Camara's performance.

"But honestly, to start in F1, when it's your home race, you have these kind of conditions, that you have to put in inter, medium, soft... It's wet during Quali and the same [in the] race, mega cold conditions today, it was probably the most difficult weekend that he could have had, but he's doing very well. The pace was impressive yesterday."

Haas boss Ayao Komatsu agreed: "He made some mistakes, but overall, I think they were very challenging conditions to make your debut, so well done to him for completing this race without any big issues. We know he has performance, he has speed, it’s just about consistency and delivering it."