The Ferrari Driver Academy has produced a clutch of Formula 1 drivers in recent years, such as Charles Leclerc and Oliver Bearman, and may already have its next future star.
Leclerc and Bearman honed their trade with the FDA as the Monegasque and Briton climbed the ladder towards F1. Ferrari signed Leclerc as a young prospect in 2016, which would even mark the start of their now nine-year relationship, while Bearman entered the FDA in 2021.
Bearman was only 16 years old when he signed for Ferrari’s driver development programme ahead of making the step up to FIA Formula 3 in 2022. Leclerc also joined the FDA ahead of his rookie campaign in the third tier of single-seater racing, when it was still the GP3 Series.
Both now drive in F1, with Leclerc’s £25m a year Ferrari contract locking him down through 2029, and Bearman is essentially on loan with Haas through 2026. Ferrari have not stopped watching Bearman at Haas, too, as they keep their mind open to what the future may hold.
Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty ImagesFerrari are ‘thinking’ about making 2025 F3 champion Rafael Camara an F1 reserve driver
It is thought that it is only a matter of time before Bearman joins Ferrari, with a seat possibly available as early as the 2027 F1 season. While Leclerc is tied up in Maranello through 2029, Lewis Hamilton is only under contract through 2026 but has an option to stay through 2027.
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TEAMDRIVER 1DRIVER 2AlpinePierre GaslyN/AAston MartinFernando AlonsoLance StrollAudiGabriel BortoletoNico HulkenbergCadillacN/AN/AFerrariCharles LeclercLewis HamiltonHaasEsteban OconOliver BearmanMcLarenLando NorrisOscar PiastriMercedesN/AN/ARacing BullsN/AN/ARed Bull RacingMax VerstappenN/AWilliamsAlex AlbonCarlos Sainz2026 confirmed F1 drivers
But Ferrari are even ‘thinking’ about the talents who come after Bearman, as GPblog reports the Scuderia are now considering naming 2025 F3 champion Rafael Camara as an F1 reserve driver in 2026. The 20-year-old’s F3 title makes him eligible to apply for an FIA superlicence.
Camara made history at the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix by becoming the first driver to ever win an FIA F3 title before the final round of a season. The Brazilian has been the class of the junior field, and he will now go to the final round at the Italian Grand Prix as the champion.
Recife-born racer Camara sealed his fourth F3 Feature Race of the 2025 season in Hungary from his fifth pole position in nine rounds. The victory moved him to 156 points, and he sits 48 clear of Mari Boya who joined the newly-launched Aston Martin Driver Academy in June.
Rafael Camara won his history-making F3 title with brilliant qualifying speed and race management
Photo by Malcolm Griffiths – Formula 1/Formula Motorsport Limited via Getty Images
Camara has been a part of the Ferrari Driver Academy since November 2021, having signed with the Scuderia’s development programme at the same time as Bearman. Ferrari snapped the Brazilian up when he was still racing go-karts against Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Ferrari’s backing has seen Camara rise the single-seater ladder since 2022, when he sealed second in the F4 UAE Championship and third in the ADAC and Italian equivalents. Camara’s first single-seater title came in the 2024 Formula Regional European Championship season.
READ MORE: Who is 2025 Haas driver Oliver Bearman? Everything to know
Now, his history-making F3 title in 2025 may see Camara serve as a Ferrari F1 reserve driver in 2026, when he is expected to move to Formula 2. Camara joining the Scuderia’s deputies for Leclerc and Hamilton in his rookie F2 season would be a feat not even Bearman enjoyed.
Ferrari only named Bearman as an F1 reserve driver in 2024, during his second season in F2. Bearman also did not earn an F3 or F2 title through his rise to F1, with the 20-year-old’s last single-seater crowns won back in 2021 with the ADAC and Italian Formula 4 Championships.
Camara clinched his F3 crown as a Sunday man with phenomenal qualifying pace. Five poles in nine rounds set the Brazilian up for success, with 138 of his 156 points scored in Feature Races rather than Sprints. He also showed superb race management to lead from the front.