British Formula One star Ollie Bearman has disclosed that he is prepared for the challenge of replacing Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari, should the seven-time world champion retire in the coming years. Bearman has made his mark since breaking into F1 as a substitute for Carlos Sainz at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in 2024.
Bearman's Rise in Formula One
Hamilton has found it tough at the Prancing Horse, with speculation mounting around his eventual successor. Bearman was given a drive with Haas in place of Kevin Magnussen in 2025. Yet while he remains committed to Haas, the 20-year-old is a well-respected talent in Maranello, Ferrari's headquarters, having been part of its academy for four years after joining aged just 16.
Bearman's Ambition and Self-Assessment
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Bearman was asked whether replacing Hamilton is amongst his ambitions, with the young driver acknowledging he may need to stop eating sweets if he wants to secure a seat with the Scuderia. "I feel like I am ready," he said. "If I didn't say that, it wouldn't be worth going to the track. I am young and have years to go. I just want to give them a reason for me to be a choice. The faster I drive, the better my chances are."
He added: "I concentrate on myself, on giving my best performances for Haas. Just as the team debrief after every weekend, I do the same internally and with my coach as well. We make sure there is no stone left unturned."
"It is not necessarily about the result you have achieved but about personal performance. You need to have no ego, no fear of criticising yourself. But you need a good level of self-confidence. That allows you not to push blame elsewhere. For now, I am loving every minute of it."
Dietary Discipline and Physical Demands
Bearman has a weakness for sweet treats, particularly Percy Pigs and Colin the Caterpillar Fruit Sours from Marks and Spencer. He suggested he'll have to cut out that particular vice. He added: "The rules dictate that you have to be 82 kilos with a race suit and helmet when you are weighed. So that means being 79 kilos (12st 6lb) yourself. I have had to watch that [eating sweets] over the break, so that's why I have been cycling."
Current Performance and Expert Opinion
Bearman currently occupies seventh place in the drivers' standings. Encouraging results in Australia and China, seventh and fifth respectively, were dampened by a serious crash in Japan, which left him with a bruised leg. Despite this setback, with the Miami Grand Prix approaching this weekend, former F1 star Karun Chandhok believes Bearman possesses the qualities needed to earn a seat at Ferrari.
"Ollie Bearman has done a brilliant job, really picked up from where he left off last season, when he outperformed Esteban Ocon," he told Sky F1. "I think Haas has done a good job. They've come out of the blocks [with a bang]. They are one of the smallest teams in terms of the workforce on the grid, and they've come out with a car that is arguably best of the rest behind the top teams. He's doing a great job."
Chandhok continued: "Ollie has just got to keep reminding Ferrari that he's there. That's his goal, right? It's to remind Ferrari that when the day comes when Lewis [Hamilton] decides he's had enough or Charles [Leclerc] decides he might want to move on, Ollie is there in pole position to take that seat. And so far, you'd have to say he's done a great job of it."
