Published Friday, November 6, 8:51 p.m. ET (10:51 p.m. São Paulo) · Source: Stewards of the FIA (motorsport’s governing body), Formula 1 schedule
A Brazilian rookie’s home-race debut drew a stewards’ rebuke on Friday. Rafael Câmara, who drives for the American team Haas, was reprimanded for blocking Charles Leclerc of Ferrari during second practice at Interlagos, the track that hosts the São Paulo Grand Prix 2026.
The stewards called the situation “clearly dangerous” but spared Câmara a grid penalty. Qualifying, which sets the grid for Sunday’s race, starts at 1:00 p.m. ET on Saturday.
This story is part of our coverage of the São Paulo Grand Prix 2026. Dates, times and how to follow it are in our guide.
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Free practice is the warm-up before qualifying, and teams use it to test set-ups. A reprimand is a formal rebuke from the stewards that goes on a driver’s record without a points or grid penalty.
Why Stewards Called It Dangerous
Câmara, a Brazilian who is also a Ferrari junior driver, was weaving on the hill before the main straight when Leclerc came up behind on a flying lap. A flying lap is a lap at full pace, and the driver ahead is expected to move off the racing line.
Câmara did not. He moved well into the racing line despite several warnings, the stewards found, and Leclerc moved right and put a significant part of his car off the track.
What the Ruling Says
The stewards published their decision as Document 25 at about 4:05 p.m. ET (6:05 p.m. São Paulo). They wrote: “The situation that was created was clearly dangerous and Car 51 should have taken more care to avoid impeding Car 16,” meaning Câmara’s Haas and Leclerc’s Ferrari.
They found that Câmara unnecessarily impeded Leclerc. They reviewed video, onboard footage and team radio, and heard from Câmara and team representatives.
A warning is the normal outcome for impeding in free practice. The panel judged that a reprimand was warranted here, Câmara’s first of the season.
File photo: a Formula 3 car with Câmara’s race number at the 2025 Austrian round. Photo: Lukas Raich / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).A Debut With Home Pressure
Câmara is making his Grand Prix debut at home. He was 18th in first practice and improved to 16th in the second session, when Leclerc finished seventh.
Haas parted ways with its previous driver, Esteban Ocon, during the Mexican Grand Prix weekend, as we reported earlier this week. A reprimand is a mild sanction, but it is a mark on a record that is only one session old.
What It Means for US Readers
For fans watching in the United States, the ruling changes nothing on the grid: Câmara keeps his place and no one moves. It does turn a quiet rookie weekend into a story to watch when qualifying starts at 1:00 p.m. ET on Saturday.
Leclerc was seventh in the second session and Câmara 16th. Qualifying will show whether the incident carries into Saturday.
What Is Not Known
We found no comment from Ferrari, Haas, Câmara or Leclerc on the ruling. No penalty points have been mentioned.
The stewards’ names are not published in the material we reviewed. The full text of Document 25 was not available to us, so the quoted wording rests on several matching published accounts of it.
More: Brazil news, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Rafael Câmara get a grid penalty?
No. The stewards, the officials who rule on on-track incidents, issued a driving reprimand. It carries no grid drop.
What was the incident?
Câmara drifted onto the racing line at Turn 15 as Leclerc closed on a fast lap. Leclerc had to run partly off the track to avoid contact.
Sources: FIA stewards’ decision on Document 25, São Paulo Grand Prix (6 November 2026), as listed by the FIA; Formula 1 session schedule.
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