Rafael Camara, a Brazilian driver born in 2005 and part of the Ferrari Driver Academy, has just claimed the Formula 3 title with a dominant performance throughout the season. And the best is yet to come.
Born in 2005 and a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy since 2022—just like Ollie Bearman—Rafael Camara shares Brazilian roots with Ayrton Senna and clinched the Formula 3 title in his rookie season, just like Charles Leclerc, George Russell, Oscar Piastri, and Gabriel Bortoleto. His career is only just beginning, but the signs are more than promising. Let’s take a closer look at his journey so far.
Born in Recife, Brazil, Camara began karting at the age of six, starting a journey that—11 years and numerous victories later—led him into the world of single-seaters. In 2022, he competed with Prema in the UAE Formula 4 Championship, finishing as the best rookie, and repeated that feat in the ADAC Formula 4 championship while also taking part in the Italian Formula 4 championship. While he didn’t claim the title that year, the Brazilian driver finished in the top three in all three series, going head-to-head with talents like Kimi Antonelli and Alex Dunne.
In 2023, Camara competed in both the European and Middle East Formula Regional championships, finishing fifth with two wins in the former and third in the latter. 2024 marked his breakout year: he became Formula Regional European champion with a record-breaking seven victories and secured another third-place finish in the Middle East series.
In 2025, Camara made the move from one Italian team to another, debuting in Formula 3 with Trident and dominating from the very start. In Barcelona, he became the first driver in the history of the category to secure four pole positions in a single season, and in Hungary, after claiming his fourth win of the year, he clinched the title with one round to spare—something not even Piastri, Russell, or Leclerc had achieved before.
“Now I can relax a little,” he joked right after the race in his pre-podium interview. High praise also came from Formula 3 CEO Bruno Michel: “He really deserves it—he’s been incredibly consistent all year, lightning-fast in qualifying, and strong in the Feature Races.”
Signed by the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2022, Camara has become one of Ferrari’s biggest successes in 2025. Maranello is nurturing its protégé well—he’s the first driver since Piastri to win both Formula Regional and F3 titles back-to-back. The Brazilian will most likely compete in Formula 2 in 2026, possibly even making his debut late in 2025 as is often the case. He’ll aim to claim another rookie title and follow in the footsteps of fellow countryman Bortoleto by reaching Formula 1. After all, breaking records seems to have become his daily routine.
Photo: Formula 3 on X
