Ferrari are now in danger of repeating one of Mercedes’ biggest mistakes with Oliver Bearman

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Very few people would have expected George Russell, Lewis Hamilton and Oliver Bearman to be the three leading British drivers in the championship after the Chinese Grand Prix.

However, as soon as McLaren suffered a double DNS at the Chinese Grand Prix, the door opened for Oliver Bearman to secure another top result for Haas.

After finishing seventh at the Australian GP, Bearman sneaked into the top eight during Saturday’s Sprint Race before turning out to be one of the stars of the show on Sunday.

Some sensational performances in Shanghai 🔥 Who is your pick for Driver of the Day at the Chinese Grand Prix?

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Bearman and Pierre Gasly have been the top drivers in F1’s midfield this year, reaching Q3 twice already and sitting fifth and seventh respectively in the drivers’ championship.

However, this will start to put pressure on Ferrari, as if Bearman’s current rate of improvement continues, they might struggle to keep him happy if he’s forced to spend another season racing for Haas.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Oliver Bearman from F1 stats to net worth

Ferrari could be running out of time not to promote Oliver Bearman after perfect start to 2026

Bearman is the heir apparent for Ferrari after making his F1 debut for the team in place of Carlos Sainz when he was ill at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

The British driver scored points that day, immediately putting him on Fred Vasseur’s radar and all but securing his promotion to F1 with Haas.

However, in order to make the next step in his career to join Ferrari, he needs Lewis Hamilton or Charles Leclerc to move on.

Hamilton is enjoying his best spell as a Ferrari driver after finally finishing on the podium in China, while Leclerc has addressed his F1 future with teams putting him on their shortlists for 2027 and beyond.

A brilliant P5 for Ollie Bearman in China!

What do you think is his ceiling at Haas in 2026?

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Commentating on the Chinese Grand Prix for Sky Sports F1, David Croft and Anthony Davidson spoke about the 20-year-old.

Croft said: “Well, that’s a man who I think will get a few starts for Ferrari in the future, that’s another really mature drive from Ollie Bearman today.”

Davidson replied: “It really was. I love watching him race. He’s been really fast all weekend; he was in Melbourne as well.

“I think the future is very bright with that young man.”

READ MORE: All you need to know about Scuderia Ferrari from team principal to factory

Ferrari can’t afford to leave Oliver Bearman at Haas for a third consecutive season

The last time a British driver had this much potential outside of a top team in Formula 1 was when George Russell joined Williams on loan from Mercedes.

Russell spent three seasons with the Grove-based team, albeit they were in a far worse position than Haas currently are.

Toto Wolff said leaving Russell at Williams for three years was his biggest ‘regret’, and Ferrari will want to avoid Bearman falling into the same trap.

Unfortunately, Bearman’s options elsewhere on the grid are very limited if he wants to maintain his relationship with Ferrari.

Haas could easily finish fifth in the constructors’ championship this year, but no team sitting above them in the standings will take a Ferrari driver on loan.

This could force Vasseur into an incredibly awkward position where he might have to sacrifice one of his incredible talents to promote Bearman, or let Ferrari’s best young driver go to avoid losing patience with the Scuderia.