Who Will Replace Ocon at Haas?
The rumour has it that Rafa Câmara is about to partner Ollie Bearman at Haas in 2027. Apparently, the young Brazilian impressed the team during his TPC test and, despite some questionable race-craft decisions while battling wheel-to-wheel in F2, his potential cannot be denied.
So, that is the sporting side.
But there is a much wider picture here.
The rumour also has it that none other than Bernie Ecclestone might have something to do with it.
How, you ask?
Well, through his Brazilian wife, who allegedly found a way to secure plenty of very important votes for FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem. Could that also help explain the support Câmara has received in F3 and F2 — perhaps.
If these claims are completely true, we cannot say for sure. But, as the saying goes:
Where there is smoke, there is fire. 🔥
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What Is Special About Baku Circuit?
Well, for starters — Baku is the fastest street circuits in F1.
It is also the second-longest circuit on the calendar, at 6.003 km, second only to Spa-Francorchamps. And it has the longest straight in F1, stretching for 2.2 km along the Baku waterfront.
That will be a particular challenge for the hybrid systems in modern F1.
There are very few corners where the cars can generate significant downforce and grip. Instead, Baku combines long, fast sections with tight, slow 90-degree corners — almost as if someone deliberately designed a track full of exactly the type of corners where modern F1 cars are least comfortable.
So how do drivers master this challenging track?
Number one on any driver’s list of requirements for a fast lap in Baku is confidence under braking. Even a small inefficiency under braking can cost a lot of time — and potentially several positions.
But the real technical challenge this year will be energy management.
Because of the longest straight in F1, we can expect plenty of “super-clipping” — keeping the throttle fully open while harvesting electrical energy towards the end of the straight.
The basic maths explains why. A current F1 car can deploy maximum electrical power for about 12 seconds, while the Baku straight lasts several times longer.
So what happens when the battery runs out?
We have all seen that — and it is not pretty.
Expect more of it this weekend, with the logical consequence being what many drivers jokingly call “Mario Kart” racing — artificial-looking changes of position lap after lap as cars gain and lose energy deployment advantages. 🏎️🔋💨
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Gasly About Driving Current F1 Cars
Pierre Gasly explained in great detail the challenges drivers face when trying to extract the full potential from current F1 cars.
There are two elements to it. The natural approach through the corners has not changed. What has changed is mainly throttle application.
For a similar lap time, it could cost you more battery. There are a couple of tracks where that sensitivity is higher than others, and where driver adjustment is needed more compared to the natural feel.
Things happen really fast in an F1 car and you really have to undo some of your natural driving style. I often go out in FP1 and drive the car naturally, and then my engineers tell me where to correct my approach, and mainly it is about using less throttle in the corners, which saves battery and tyres and adds speed on the straights.
In other words: current F1 penalises corner speed and favours straight-line speed. Exactly the opposite of what every racing driver learns from their first karting race… 🏎️🔋
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🏎️ The Fastest Lap Team
All images and videos used in The Fastest Lap Newsletter are our own or have been provided by our partners, including https://www.spasgp.com/
The Fastest Lap Newsletter is an independent project and is not affiliated with Formula 1 or any F1 team.
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