F1 boss succumbs to Lewis Hamilton replacement demands

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F1 News & Gossip

F1 boss succumbs to Lewis Hamilton replacement demands

Lewis Hamilton has not performed well at Ferrari

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Tuesday 14 April 2026 09:43

An F1 boss has suggested that 'discussions' have started about a potential replacement for Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari.

Hamilton suffered a dismal 2025, finishing a mammoth 86 points behind his team-mate Charles Leclerc, and not picking up a single grand prix podium in the season for the first time in his career.

The seven-time world champion has started 2026 off better, claiming a podium at the Chinese Grand Prix, but this is the final season of his current Ferrari contract, unless an option to extend is activated.

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With a former Ferrari academy driver performing well at Haas in Oliver Bearman at a fraction of the cost of Hamilton, there have been suggestions that the young Brit could be in line to replace Hamilton at the Maranello-based outfit.

Bearman's boss Ayao Komatsu recently opened up about the possibility of Haas losing their star driver to Ferrari, admitting that it is likely to happen at some point.

"If we’ve done a great job with Ollie and Ollie performs so well that Ferrari wants to take him the following year, we have to be happy that we’ve done our job," Komatsu told media at the Japanese Grand Prix. "So, we’ve got to focus on our job."

Asked if there is a timeline on talks with Ferrari about this, he replied: "Yeah, but that’s just a discussion between us and Ferrari.

"But, seriously, we are all just focused on getting the best performance out of the car and out of Ollie.

"If that means we lose him for next year - hopefully not, but that’s not something we can control."

Bearman's excellent form

Having been given a full-time seat in the sport for the first time last year, Bearman suffered some inconsistent results at Haas in his rookie year.

But he finished the season brilliantly, eventually finishing above much more experienced team-mate Esteban Ocon in the drivers' championship.

Bearman achieved a fourth-place finish at the Brazilian Grand Prix in November, Haas' joint-best result in their history.

He has started 2026 off in fine form too, picking up a fifth-place finish in China and a seventh-place finish at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

It means that the 20-year-old is a hot prospect in the sport, and could find himself with one of the big four teams for the 2027 season.

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F1 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Haas Oliver Bearman