Lewis Hamilton’s time with Ferrari has not gone to plan
It has been two years since Ollie Bearman made his Formulation 1 race debut with Ferrari on the mere age of 18. The English driver is totally conscious of the noise a couple of potential return to the Prancing Horse as a everlasting driver, however insists his solely focus is on his present workforce, Haas.
Bearman, now 20, completed seventh on the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in 2024, making him one of many youngest ever factors scorers in F1 historical past. He had solely taken on the function of Ferrari’s reserve driver earlier that 12 months, however was given his probability in Jeddah after Carlos Sainz was sidelined with appendicitis.
Strain has not too long ago been constructing on one in all Ferrari’s present drivers, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, following a nightmare first season with the workforce. This has prompted hypothesis over a return for Bearman earlier than the top of the 2026 marketing campaign, along with his performances for Haas turning heads.
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! All the very best sports activities information and far more on our devoted Fb web page
The teenager completed thirteenth within the drivers’ standings final season, simply forward of team-mate Esteban Ocon. His standout second got here in Mexico, the place his fourth-place end equalled Haas’ greatest ever end in a Grand Prix.
Nonetheless, he is not getting carried away with discuss of getting one other alternative with Ferrari any time quickly. Throughout an look on the Excessive Efficiency Podcast, Bearman was requested how a lot consideration he pays to rumours of a return to the Italian workforce.
READ MORE: The right way to watch Formulation 1 2026 on TV as each race this season dwell on one channelREAD MORE: Luke Littler battling Lando Norris for award received by Lamine Yamal as nominations revealed
He made it clear he was having none of it, responding to host Jake Humphrey by indicating the quantity of consideration he was paying to the hypothesis was: “Zero. Nothing.”
He continued: “As a result of I believe I’ve been fortunate in a solution to have gotten that decision two years in the past and to do the race. And ever since then there have been these rumours and people issues popping out, so it’s type of simply regular.
Lewis Hamilton shouldn’t be getting any youthful(Picture: Marco Canoniero, LightRocket through Getty Pictures)
“Initially I don’t even see them as a result of you need to go on Autosport or no matter to search out them. So I don’t exit searching for them and that’s one of the simplest ways… my focus shouldn’t be on these, it’s on the present venture and hopefully we will do good issues in 2026.”
Hamilton, who celebrated his forty first birthday in January, ended up sixth within the drivers’ standings in his debut Ferrari marketing campaign. He did not handle a single GP podium – the primary time this has occurred in his profession – and trailed team-mate Charles Leclerc by greater than 80 factors.
Sky F1 pitlane reporter Ted Kravitz stated in November, it is “clear as day” Bearman would be the one to interchange him ultimately. That comment mirrored the views of former Haas workforce principal Guenther Steiner, who’d stated earlier in 2025 that the 20-year-old is the “apparent candidate” when the seat turns into free.
Bearman is trying to observe up a stable first season with Haas(Picture: Getty)
Hamilton’s gruelling season additionally led F1 commentator Mark Gallagher to query how for much longer the veteran can stay on the pinnacle of the game. “[The] stress issue has been accountable for lots of Ferrari’s struggles over time,” Gallagher instructed The Specific.
“So, this might be one thing of a make-or-break 12 months. Let’s hope we see the Lewis Hamilton of earlier seasons quite than final 12 months’s model, and this isn’t the final 12 months we see him in F1.
“As Fernando Alonso has confirmed, you may proceed driving in Formulation One into your forties as of late. I don’t see any purpose why Hamilton couldn’t do this, however he received’t need to proceed if he’s not aggressive and never driving a aggressive automotive.”
Formulation One 2026: The Final Season Preview – New Guidelines, New Rivals, New Champion
From radical new guidelines to a brand new world champion in McLaren’s Lando Norris, the 2026 Formulation 1 season guarantees extra drama, surprises, and spectacle than ever earlier than. Don’t miss our important particular version: your definitive information to the brand new period of F1.
Purchase now
