Cadillac CEO denies Camara rumours but leaves 2027 driver line-up door open

Cadillac Formula 1 CEO Dan Towriss pushed back on reports that the team is targeting Ferrari junior Rafael Camara for a 2027 race seat, describing the rumours as unsubstantiated — while simultaneously refusing to close the door on a driver line-up change.

The story emerged at the Hungarian Grand Prix, where it was reported that the Ferrari-powered American outfit was monitoring Camara as a potential replacement for one of its current drivers. Towriss addressed the speculation directly in a press conference held to announce Marcin Budkowski’s appointment as team principal, succeeding the outgoing Graeme Lowdon.

“I know there’s been some of the rumours out there with some of the young drivers,” Towriss said. “They’re not substantiated, so that’s not something I would focus on. We’re not focused on that at the moment.”

He was equally clear, however, that no final decisions have been made about next season’s pairing. “I’ll throw the caveat, though,” he added. “It’s Formula 1, and things can always change. There are no changes planned at the moment for ‘27, but things can always change.”

Camara has given Cadillac — and the wider paddock — plenty of reason to take notice. The reigning Formula 3 champion has made a strong impression in his rookie Formula 2 season with Invicta Racing, claiming four of the last six pole positions and winning two races. He sits third in the drivers’ championship, 22 points behind leader Nikola Tsolov.

Should Cadillac move for Camara, the seat most at risk would belong to Valtteri Bottas, who has been marginally slower than team-mate Sergio Perez across the season so far. Perez, despite his difficult final years at Red Bull, retains more experience and profile.

New team principal Budkowski was also asked whether signing Camara could strengthen Cadillac’s relationship with Ferrari as a power unit supplier, but he sidestepped the question, focusing instead on how the team plans to extract maximum performance from its current Ferrari powertrain.

Towriss did acknowledge the broader principle behind the Camara speculation. “It’s a great question, whether a younger driver can come in and push the team,” he said. “It’s certainly something that we think about. We’ve got two experienced drivers that we’re very happy with, that are pushing the team, and we’ll continue to push them.”

With Budkowski now installed and the team still finding its feet in its debut F1 season, the driver question for 2027 is unlikely to be resolved quickly — but Towriss’s carefully worded denial suggests it has not been entirely shelved either.