F1 star tipped to succeed Lewis Hamilton 'ready' for Ferrari signing

Lewis Hamilton smiling at the Qatar Grand Prix — Photo: © IMAGO

Formula 1

F1 star tipped to succeed Lewis Hamilton 'ready' for Ferrari signing

Ferrari's next generation is ready

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Wednesday 31 December 2025 21:00

F1 star Ollie Bearman has revealed he is 'ready' for the next step at Ferrari, should Lewis Hamilton or Charles Leclerc switch teams.

Bearman made a name for himself in 2024, when he stepped up last minute to race for Ferrari at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix that year.

The British youngster replaced an unwell Carlos Sainz and finished Sunday's race seventh, with his debut impressing bosses up and down the grid.

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Bearman has been a member of Ferrari's driver academy since 2022, and should Ferrari need a driver to replace a departing Hamilton or Leclerc, he remains the most viable option for their long-term future.

There has been speculation that both Hamilton and Leclerc may not remain at Ferrari, after both drivers endured a miserable 2025 season and failed to pick up a single race win.

Is Bearman the future for Ferrari?

If the time comes for either driver to leave, however, one driver is prepared. Ollie Bearman.

Speaking to the media about a Ferrari promotion, the British youngster claimed he is ready, and said: "Well, you know, I’m in F1 and you have to back yourself. So yes, I believe I’m ready, but I have to continue to prove that.

"It’s not that I had five or six good races that suddenly everything changes.

"But I think it’s also easy to forget that in the middle of the season, I had a run of four or five eleventh places in a row. So that was also consistent — just not quite good enough. And we’ve gained a bit of car performance since then. So that 11th place turns into a 10th, a ninth, an eighth, and that’s better received by everyone.

"So yeah, I’ve definitely improved, particularly since the summer break. I found a really good rhythm and momentum, and of course, I would say that I’m ready."

F1 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Haas Ollie Bearman