Oliver Bearman sets Lewis Hamilton target with F1 teenager eyeing Ferrari future
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Oliver Bearman hasn't yet raced as a full-time member of the Formula 1 grid, but he's already eyeing what's next. Bearman becomes the latest Brit with a place on the grid, earned in part by a remarkable performance on debut. Called up last March to race for Ferrari in Jeddah because of Carlos Sainz's illness, the teenager finished the race above the likes of Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton.
He went on to make two more appearances for Haas later in the year but by that point it had already been decided that Bearman was going to race for the American team in 2025, while remaining a member of the Ferrari development programme and a reserve driver for the Scuderia.
He will be called up to race for Ferrari should either Hamilton or Charles Leclerc be unable to compete for any reason. And he is also well placed to audition for a future permanent place with the team. Hamilton turns 40 next week and is in the twilight of his F1 career. Nevertheless, Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur has made it clear he is not yet ready to start thinking about what life after the seven-time Formula 1 champion might look like.
But Bearman is well placed to be his fellow Brit's natural successor in the future, if he can continue to put in impressive performances. And that is his goal now that he has earned his promotion from Formula 2 into the top single-seater racing category.
