Rafael Chaves Câmara (; born 5 May 2005) is a Brazilian
racing driver
Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. In North America, the term is commonly used to describe all forms of automobile sport including non ...
, who competes in the
FIA Formula 3 Championship
The FIA Formula 3 Championship (FIA F3) is a third-tier international Open wheel car, single-seater racing championship organised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The championship launched in 2019 as a feeder series for ...
for
Trident
A trident (), () is a three- pronged spear. It is used for spear fishing and historically as a polearm. As compared to an ordinary spear, the three tines increase the chance that a fish will be struck and decrease the chance that a fish will b ...
.
Câmara is the
2024 Formula Regional European champion and the
2022 Formula 4 UAE runner-up, driving in both for
Prema Racing
Prema Racing, previously known as Prema Powerteam, is an Italian motorsport team, owned and operated through the '' DC Racing Solutions'' parent company. Founded in 1983, the team is based in Grisignano di Zocco and currently operates out of It ...
. He is a member of the
Ferrari Driver Academy
Ferrari Driver Academy is a driver development program by the Formula One team Scuderia Ferrari to promote young talent within its own organisation, with several drivers being selected and funded by the team, while under long-term contracts. Ov ...
.
Career
Karting
Câmara began karting in 2011, where he competed in the Pernambuco’s State Championship. He would soon move into international competitions, after winning titles in all national and regional championships that he participated, garnering particular success in 2019 by finishing second in the
Karting World Championship
The FIA Karting World Championship, officially known as the Mondokart.com FIA Karting World Championship for sponsorship reasons, is a kart racing competition organised by the CIK-FIA. Hosted annually since 1964, it is widely regarded as the ...
, driving in the
OK Junior class for Forza Racing. Having finished fifth in the
European Championship
A European Championship is the top level international sports competition between European athletes or sports teams representing their respective countries or professional sports clubs.
In the plural, the European Championships also refers t ...
during his first year of senior karting, Câmara would close his karting career in 2021 by winning a number of series, such as the
WSK Champions Cup
The WSK Champions Cup is a European kart racing competition organised by the WSK. Its inaugural season took place in 2014. Today, the series holds championships in four: karting categories: KZ2
KZ2 is a kart racing class using 125 cc water-cool ...
and
WSK Super Master Series
The WSK Super Master Series is a kart racing competition organised by the WSK. Its inaugural season took place in 2010. Today, the series holds championships in four karting categories: KZ2, OK, OKJ and 60 Mini. Notable champions have been Fo ...
, as well as taking vice-champion status in the European Championship.
Formula 4 (2022)
F4 UAE
In 2022, Câmara made his single-seater debut, competing in the
F4 UAE Championship with
Prema Racing
Prema Racing, previously known as Prema Powerteam, is an Italian motorsport team, owned and operated through the '' DC Racing Solutions'' parent company. Founded in 1983, the team is based in Grisignano di Zocco and currently operates out of It ...
to prepare for his main campaigns in Europe.
Having missed the opening round due to contracting
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
, Câmara scored his first podium at round two in
Dubai
Dubai (Help:IPA/English, /duːˈbaɪ/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''doo-BYE''; Modern Standard Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic: ; Emirati Arabic, Emirati Arabic: , Romanization of Arabic, romanized: Help:IPA/English, /diˈbej/) is the Lis ...
, before achieving his first pair of car racing victories at the same venue the following weekend. The penultimate event of the campaign brought even more success, as the Brazilian won three of the four races, putting himself in title contention before the season finale. Despite winning Race 1 at
Yas Marina, a collision in the third race forced his retirement from the race and clinched the title for teammate
Charlie Wurz
Charlie Wurz (born 2 December 2005) is an Austrian-British racing driver who currently competes in the 2025 FIA Formula 3 Championship for Trident Racing, Trident, having driven in the same series for Jenzer Motorsport in 2024 FIA Formula 3 Cham ...
. Câmara ended up second in the standings and first in the rookie championship with 6 wins.
ADAC F4
Remaining with Prema, Câmara competed in
ADAC F4, partnering Wurz,
Andrea Kimi Antonelli
Andrea Kimi Antonelli (; born 25 August 2006) is an Italian racing driver who competes in Formula One for Mercedes-Benz in Formula One, Mercedes.
Born and raised in Bologna, Antonelli is the son of sportscar racing driver Marco Antonelli. Afte ...
,
Conrad Laursen and fellow
FDA
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food ...
member
James Wharton.
The season started out strongly, as two-second places and a victory in Race 3 at
Spa-Francorchamps
The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps (), informally referred to as Spa, is a motor-racing circuit located in Francorchamps, Stavelot, Wallonia, Belgium, about southeast of Spa. It is the current venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix, ho ...
gave Câmara the championship lead. Victory eluded him in the next two rounds, although the Brazilian was able to cement his place as the closest challenger to title favourite Antonelli, with a pair of podiums at
Hockenheim
Hockenheim () is a town in northwest Baden-Württemberg, Germany, about 20 km south of Mannheim and 10 km west of Walldorf. It is located in the Upper Rhine Plain, Upper Rhine valley on the tourist theme routes "Baden Asparagus Route" ( ...
and
Zandvoort
Zandvoort () is a municipality in the province of North Holland, Netherlands. It is one of the major beach resorts of the Netherlands; it has a long sandy beach. It is bordered by coastal dunes of Zuid-Kennemerland National Park and the Amsterdam ...
respectively. His championship challenge was thwarted before the next round at the
Nürburgring
The () is a 150,000-person capacity motorsports complex located in the town of Nürburg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It features a Grand Prix motor racing, Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a long configuration, built in the 1920s ...
however, as another contraction of
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
forced Câmara to miss the event. He finished off his campaign with two pole positions and podiums at the second
Nürburgring
The () is a 150,000-person capacity motorsports complex located in the town of Nürburg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It features a Grand Prix motor racing, Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a long configuration, built in the 1920s ...
round, which earned Câmara the rookie title and third overall in the standings.
Italian F4
In tandem with his ADAC F4 campaign, Câmara also competed in
Italian F4 with
Prema Racing
Prema Racing, previously known as Prema Powerteam, is an Italian motorsport team, owned and operated through the '' DC Racing Solutions'' parent company. Founded in 1983, the team is based in Grisignano di Zocco and currently operates out of It ...
. He experienced a competitive start to his campaign, inheriting victory at the season opener in
Imola
Imola (; or ) is a city and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Bologna, located on the river Santerno, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. The city is traditionally considered the western entrance to the historical region Romagna ...
when race leader Antonelli experienced a gearbox failure in the closing laps. Another victory followed at
Misano, where the Brazilian proved his opportunism by overtaking his Italian teammate at the safety car restart, which was then followed by another impressive weekend at
Spa
A spa is a location where mineral-rich spring water (sometimes seawater) is used to give medicinal baths. Spa health treatments are known as balneotherapy. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters and hot springs goes back to pre ...
, where, having stalled from pole position in Race 3, Câmara recovered to third by the checkered flag. More podiums came at
Vallelunga
Vallelunga (Italian for ''long valley'') is a valley, or plateau,Tonino Floris, Marco Spada, ''Pedalando nel Lazio''p. 97 Edizioni Mediterranee, 1996 . near Campagnano di Roma, Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in S ...
and the
Red Bull Ring
The Red Bull Ring is a motorsport race track in Spielberg, Austria, Spielberg, Styria, Austria. The race circuit was founded as Österreichring (translation: Austrian Circuit) and hosted the Austrian Grand Prix for 18 consecutive years, from t ...
, before Câmara experienced his first and only podium-lacking event of the year at
Monza
Monza (, ; ; , locally ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the Lambro, River Lambro, a tributary of the Po (river), River Po, in the Lombardy region of Italy, about north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the province of Mo ...
. He finished his season third in the championship, falling behind
Alex Dunne
Alexander Dunne (; born 11 November 2005) is an Irish racing driver, who competes in the FIA Formula 2 Championship for Rodin Motorsport as part of the McLaren Driver Development Programme, and serves as a reserve driver in Formula E for McLare ...
at the final round after a collision with the Irishman at the first corner.
Formula Regional (2023–2024)
2023
During pre-season, Câmara did a full season in the
2023 Formula Regional Middle East Championship with
Mumbai Falcons
Mumbai Falcons is an Indian motorsports team established by Ameet Harjinder Gadhoke, Navjeet Singh Gadhoke and Teja Ranade Gadhoke in November 2019. Moid Tungekar is the CEO of Mumbai Falcons.
History
The team was founded in November 2019 by G ...
. Despite not winning a race, Câmara claimed six podiums that took him to third in the standings.
Having tested with the team at the end of 2022, Câmara progressed to the
Formula Regional European Championship
The Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine (FRECA) is a FIA-certified Formula Regional, regional European Formula Three, Formula 3 racing series. On 12 October 2018, it was announced that the Italian autosport regulator Automobile Club ...
with
Prema Racing
Prema Racing, previously known as Prema Powerteam, is an Italian motorsport team, owned and operated through the '' DC Racing Solutions'' parent company. Founded in 1983, the team is based in Grisignano di Zocco and currently operates out of It ...
the following year, driving alongside F4 teammate Antonelli and category veteran
Lorenzo Fluxá. He took his maiden win in the series during the first race at
Spa-Francorchamps
The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps (), informally referred to as Spa, is a motor-racing circuit located in Francorchamps, Stavelot, Wallonia, Belgium, about southeast of Spa. It is the current venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix, ho ...
. With a second win at
Red Bull Ring
The Red Bull Ring is a motorsport race track in Spielberg, Austria, Spielberg, Styria, Austria. The race circuit was founded as Österreichring (translation: Austrian Circuit) and hosted the Austrian Grand Prix for 18 consecutive years, from t ...
and three additional podiums, he finished fifth in the standings.
2024
Câmara remained with
Prema Racing
Prema Racing, previously known as Prema Powerteam, is an Italian motorsport team, owned and operated through the '' DC Racing Solutions'' parent company. Founded in 1983, the team is based in Grisignano di Zocco and currently operates out of It ...
for the
2024 FRECA season. He began the season with a fairly large lead, equalling his podiums from the previous season and claiming four wins in the first three rounds. Though going winless for the next two rounds, he cemented himself as a championship favourite with a win from pole at the first race at
Paul Ricard
Paul Louis Marius Ricard (; July 9, 1909 – November 7, 1997) was a French industrialist and creator of an eponymous pastis brand which merged in 1975 with its competitor Pernod to create Pernod Ricard. Ricard was also an environmentalist and t ...
and a lead of 50 points from second place, fellow
Ferrari junior Tuukka Taponen
Tuukka Taponen (born 26 October 2006) is a Finnish racing driver who competes in the FIA Formula 3 Championship with ART Grand Prix. He previously competed in the 2024 Formula Regional European Championship with R-ace GP, finishing third overa ...
. After the summer break, Câmara won another race at
Imola
Imola (; or ) is a city and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Bologna, located on the river Santerno, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. The city is traditionally considered the western entrance to the historical region Romagna ...
before a pointless weekend at the
Red Bull Ring
The Red Bull Ring is a motorsport race track in Spielberg, Austria, Spielberg, Styria, Austria. The race circuit was founded as Österreichring (translation: Austrian Circuit) and hosted the Austrian Grand Prix for 18 consecutive years, from t ...
. Despite the slight setback, he clinched the title in
Barcelona
Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
with one round remaining after a podium and a 4th place. One final win at
Monza
Monza (, ; ; , locally ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the Lambro, River Lambro, a tributary of the Po (river), River Po, in the Lombardy region of Italy, about north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the province of Mo ...
resulted in a total of 7 wins, the most wins in a single FRECA season. He scored points in every round except for one, never qualified outside the top four and had a 75-point lead over second place,
James Wharton.
Additionally, Câmara competed in the
2024 FRME season, remaining with
Mumbai Falcons
Mumbai Falcons is an Indian motorsports team established by Ameet Harjinder Gadhoke, Navjeet Singh Gadhoke and Teja Ranade Gadhoke in November 2019. Moid Tungekar is the CEO of Mumbai Falcons.
History
The team was founded in November 2019 by G ...
. He finished third in the championship with two wins.
FIA Formula 3
2025
Câmara was promoted to
Formula 3
Formula Three (F3) is a third-tier class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers.
History
Formula Three (adop ...
for 2025 with
Trident
A trident (), () is a three- pronged spear. It is used for spear fishing and historically as a polearm. As compared to an ordinary spear, the three tines increase the chance that a fish will be struck and decrease the chance that a fish will b ...
, alongside
Charlie Wurz
Charlie Wurz (born 2 December 2005) is an Austrian-British racing driver who currently competes in the 2025 FIA Formula 3 Championship for Trident Racing, Trident, having driven in the same series for Jenzer Motorsport in 2024 FIA Formula 3 Cham ...
and FRECA rival
Noah Strømsted
Noah Malling Strømsted (; born 29 July 2007) is a Danish people, Danish racing driver who currently competes in the 2025 FIA Formula 3 Championship for Trident Racing, Trident. He previously raced in the 2024 Formula Regional European Championsh ...
.
He qualified on pole and won the feature races in both
Melbourne
Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
and
Bahrain
Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated on the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which mak ...
. In
Imola
Imola (; or ) is a city and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Bologna, located on the river Santerno, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. The city is traditionally considered the western entrance to the historical region Romagna ...
, he took his third consecutive pole position, the first driver to do so since
Logan Sargeant
Logan Hunter Sargeant (born December 31, 2000) is an American racing driver, who most recently competed in Formula One from to .
Born and raised in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Sargeant is the nephew of billionaire business magnate Harry Sargean ...
in 2020. However, his feature race win streak came to an end, and he had to settle for third behind
Santiago Ramos and teammate Strømsted. He claimed his fourth pole position in
Barcelona
Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
, the first driver to accomplish this feat in the series and converted it successfully to his third feature race win having led every lap.
Formula One
Câmara joined the
Ferrari Driver Academy
Ferrari Driver Academy is a driver development program by the Formula One team Scuderia Ferrari to promote young talent within its own organisation, with several drivers being selected and funded by the team, while under long-term contracts. Ov ...
in 2022 alongside
Oliver Bearman
Oliver James Bearman (; born 8 May 2005) is a British racing driver who competes in Formula One for Haas F1 Team, Haas.
Born in London and raised in Chelmsford, Bearman began competitive kart racing aged seven, winning several national and cont ...
after competing in the FDA World Scouting Finals.
Karting record
Karting career summary
Complete CIK-FIA Karting European Championship results
(
key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
Racing record
Racing career summary
* Season still in progress.
Complete Formula 4 UAE Championship results
(
key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
Complete ADAC Formula 4 Championship results
(
key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
Complete Italian F4 Championship results
(
key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
Complete Formula Regional Middle East Championship results
(
key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
– Driver did not finish the race but was classified, as he completed more than 90% of the race distance.
Complete Formula Regional European Championship results
(
key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
Complete FIA Formula 3 Championship results
(
key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
Season still in progress.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Câmara, Rafael
2005 births
Living people
Brazilian racing drivers
Italian F4 Championship drivers
ADAC Formula 4 drivers
Prema Powerteam drivers
Formula Regional European Championship drivers
Karting World Championship drivers
UAE F4 Championship drivers
Mumbai Falcons drivers
Sportspeople from Recife
Formula Regional Middle East Championship drivers
FIA Formula 3 Championship drivers
Trident Racing drivers
21st-century Brazilian sportsmen