Bearman coy over Hamilton's seat despite Ferrari 'dream'

2025 Haas F1 driver Oliver Bearman has remained coy on the idea he could potentially replace Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari.

Bearman was announced over the British Grand Prix weekend as a full-time Haas driver from next season, and will become one of four Britons on the grid, after Hamilton, George Russell and Lando Norris.

18-year-old Bearman, who signed his contract on the Sunday of the Austrian GP, has already made his F1 debut, deputising for Carlos Sainz in Saudi Arabia after the Ferrari driver was struck by appendicitis, going onto finish in seventh place, scoring six points. 

Hamilton is moving to Ferrari on a two-year contract for 2025, and will be 41 by the end of the planned deal in '26, leading to the idea that Bearman, with two years of experience at Haas, could be then promoted to the senior Ferrari team. 

It is a path Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc followed after making his debut for Suaber in 2018, before instant promotion to Ferrari for '19, swapping seats with Kimi Raikkonen. 

However, Bearman has remained tight-lipped on potentially replacing Hamilton. 

"It's hard not to think about it, but I am not thinking about it," Bearman told media including RacingNews365.

"I feel like all I can do is perform at my best, and that is my goal.

"Anything that comes after that is not really within my control, but I am focusing on my future with Haas at the moment - and I am really excited to get started."

Bearman to Ferrari?

Whilst he would not be pushed on replacing Hamilton at Maranello, Bearman, a Ferrari protege, is keen to join the team one day.

"The long term dream remains the same, I want to be successful in F1," he added.

"I want to win races and championships, and with the support and loyalty Ferrari have shown me, it is only right that I would want to do that with Ferrari.

"It is every boy's dream, and making my debut with them made that even stronger, but by the same token, I am also looking at this in the short and medium term.

"My short-term is finishing Formula 2 and looking towards next year [in the medium] with Haas, and, I am really excited for that."