Ayao Komatsu explains why fast-tracking Rafael Camara into Haas seat was a ‘tough decision’ after Ryo Hirakawa performance

Haas Team Principal Ayao Komatsu has conceded that promoting Rafael Camara into the squad earlier than expected at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix was a “tough decision”, in light of Ryo Hirakawa’s solid performance one week earlier in Mexico City.

Camara’s Formula 1 debut at his home race at Interlagos is one of the biggest stories of a busy Sao Paulo GP weekend. The Brazilian had been due to make his first FP1 appearance in a current car with Ferrari, which would have been a useful step towards his planned Haas race debut next season.

However, the sudden departure of Esteban Ocon created an opportunity for the team to fast-track his race debut, accelerating his progress even further.

It might seem the obvious choice to make. However, Komatsu insists that it was not quite that straightforward, especially as Hirakawa did so well when he was called upon in Mexico City, ultimately claiming P10.

The Japanese driver already had a commitment at the Monza World Endurance Championship race for the Interlagos weekend, but it wasn’t necessarily a given that he raced in Italy rather than Brazil.

“It was a tough decision,” Komatsu said on Friday. “Ryo did a fantastic job in Mexico, with such short notice. Yes, he had FP1, but to then jump in the car from FP3 on, to deliver Qualifying, deliver the race, is a huge pressure, huge challenge.

“He’s so professional, he’s very, very good to work with. And again, his preparation, for somebody to be preparing for that long time, without knowing when that opportunity might arise, it’s not easy. You’ve always got to be ready to perform at your best. But again, full credit to his professionalism. He’s been preparing, so when that news was delivered, he was ready, and then he performed.

“So that of course makes my decision difficult here. It was definitely not an easy decision. Maybe from the outside, with who we signed next year, etcetera, it might look like a very easy decision. But it wasn’t.”

While giving Camara a head start ahead of 2027 has obvious benefits, there are also potential pitfalls in terms of throwing him in at the deep end with minimal preparation, especially with the added attention that comes with racing in Brazil.

However, when making the call Komatsu was confident that the youngster could cope, especially having seen how he dealt with the Portimao TPC (Testing of Previous Cars) test ‘shoot-out’ that ultimately won him the 2027 race seat.

“There’s always pros and cons,” said Komatsu. “It’s not a foregone thing that we signed him next year, let’s put him as early as possible. There’s always a risk.

“Of course, I don’t know Rafa for many years, but what I saw in Portimao when we did a shoot-out, how he handled himself, how he contained all that pressure, how he created the environment that let him focus and perform, just everything around it, other than the pure lap time he did, which was impressive. Everything around it for me was very impressive, and such a mature approach.

“So that gave me obviously more confidence that, right, if we go in together [the] message is clear [and] our objective is clear. We can manage.

“If he was somebody who doesn’t understand what the professional performing environment should be, if he was somebody that gets really overwhelmed by certain things, or excited by certain things, I would have maybe not have taken this decision. But from everything I saw in Portimao, it was positive, considering this circumstance.”

Komatsu’s views were bolstered by a series of calls with Camara during which those pros and cons were obviously discussed – and the team boss clearly liked what he heard.

“I spoke with Rafa on Sunday night, Monday, Tuesday,” he explained. “All the conversations just reinforced my belief what Rafa can, let’s say, not even deliver, but how he can behave or deal with everything, and then shut the noise out. Focus, simplify, and also, not overcomplicate it.

“Again, what I saw in Portimao – conditions were changing all the time, so it was very, very difficult. And then of course, it was huge pressure for him. That was an F1 drive hanging there. But he didn’t focus on that result, he didn’t focus that I need to produce something to get an F1 drive. He didn’t focus on that.

“He really focused on what he’s good at, which is the natural, amazing feel he’s got, listen to his feel, drive to the conditions. And the conditions honestly lap-by-lap were changing.

“He calmly from the outside did that, managed that mental side, managed that pressure side, not to chase something that is out of your control, just to focus on what you can deliver.

“That was impressive, and if we can take the same mindset here, that’s what I believe we can. That’s why I made that decision in the end.”

Officially Camara has only been confirmed for Interlagos, with the team yet to confirm their plans for the remaining races of the season.

The obvious catch is that he also has F2 commitments in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, and abandoning the series – and therefore not securing the title – would be a difficult call. Komatsu insists that no decision has been made.

“I’d just like to take it one step at a time, really,” he said. “Because again for Rafael, it’s a huge challenge. I really want to protect him, and I just don’t want to put any external pressure.

“Of course, a complication is he’s got the F2 championship as well. In a way I only, let’s say, dealt with something I had to deal with, which is this weekend. So that’s what we’ve done.

“And then we really focused on this weekend. It’s a huge, huge debut weekend in front of his home crowd. So we really need to manage expectations and clear message, simplify everything, let him focus on what he’s brilliant at doing.

“And then that’s what we are focusing at this minute. So we just didn’t want to get into any other conversation.”