Oliver Bearman insists he is “not worried” by Rafael Camara’s arrival at Haas as he backed himself ahead of the challenge against his new teammate.

Camara will make his Formula 1 debut on home soil at this weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix, replacing Esteban Ocon in an early preview of Haas’s planned 2027 pairing.

Both Camara and Bearman are Ferrari junior drivers which will add an extra level of intrigue to their teammate battle going forward. Asked about the challenge in front of him, Bearman responded: "No I'm not worried. I mean, I back myself as a driver, of course."

“Honestly, I’m excited to have a teammate that’s going to push me really hard. Of course, I’ve had that across the years. Esteban pushed me hard, but Rafa is also going to be a very strong competitor.

“For us as competitive people, as racing drivers, you want someone that pushes you to the next level. And that’s the best way to get the most out of the team, for sure.”

Bearman excited to lead the team

Bearman is now the more senior figure within the Haas line-up, something that excites the British driver as he was looking to move into a leadership role within the team.

“Since the start of the year, I kind of was looking to move into a role of leading the team because I knew that, in the longer term, that would be how I become successful and how I move up in Formula 1,” he said.

Bearman added that he 'feels' for Ocon and that it is strange for the Frenchman not to be around at this weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix. He added: "Of course, it's it's strange not having Esteban here, and it's it's obviously a challenging situation for everybody. And I really, really feel for him. I really do feel for him, but, of course, the situation is is complicated and things have changed.