Ferrari might try to sign one F1 driver to replace Lewis Hamilton before the start of the 2027 season

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Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur knows that eventually the time will come for him to have to replace Lewis Hamilton.

Both Fred Vasseur and Lewis Hamilton will hope that’s not for a very long time, but the 2025 F1 season has understandably raised some questions.

Hamilton is currently on course to become the first driver since 2011 to finish in the top six of the drivers’ championship without finishing on the podium.

The last driver to achieve that feat also raced for Ferrari, with Felipe Massa the unfortunate man to miss out on a top-three finish that year.

It’s believed that Hamilton signed a three-year deal with Ferrari that will see him race for the Scuderia until the end of the 2027 campaign.

Recent comments from Ferrari president John Elkann, however, suggest that even a seven-time world champion won’t be given that much time to prove that he has what it takes to end the team’s long wait for a title.

The team will need to start considering their options, and it’s been suggested that Carlos Sainz wouldn’t turn down a return to Ferrari.

However, journalists Ben Hunt and Rebecca Clancy believe that Ferrari could decide to try to bring back Haas rookie Oliver Bearman before the 2027 campaign to replace the 40-year-old racing legend.

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Ferrari could be ‘looking’ to bring in Oliver Bearman to replace Lewis Hamilton before the 2027 F1 season

Hunt was speaking on the Inside the Piranha Club Podcast about Ferrari’s driver situation. He said: “I will also say that Ollie Bearman finishing sixth, we spoke about him as a Ferrari young junior.

“An absolutely outstanding performance from him. Again, another good weekend, a great result.

“Ferrari may even be looking earlier than 2027, who knows? It’s difficult to ignore him when he’s delivering solid performances week in, week out.

“We talk about consistency, and the other two aren’t able to do that.”

Clancy replied: “I think in Hamilton’s favour is that Leclerc is not performing well either.

“And so, for me, you also have to look at Fred Vasseur, the team principal at Ferrari. I know he had a contract extension done in July, but I also know that contracts mean absolutely nothing in this sport.

“You can absolutely guarantee that they will be surveying their options. John Elkann, the chairman at Ferrari, does not want to be losing.

“I think, for me, Vasseur is under the most pressure within that team.”

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Does Oliver Bearman deserve to replace Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari one day?

The start of the season saw Bearman struggle with consistency, frequently looking as quick as his more experienced teammate Esteban Ocon, but rarely putting together a complete race weekend.

Not only that, but Bearman has accrued more penalty points than any other driver and picked up another for a clash with Liam Lawson at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

However, since the summer break, Bearman’s performances have improved considerably, and he’s now regularly qualifying in the top 10 and scoring points.

He was disappointed to only start eighth for Sunday’s race at Interlagos after looking like he was in contention to challenge for pole position following Q1 and Q2.

His fourth-place finish at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez was incredible, with Hamilton called Bearman ‘mega’ for his performance in Mexico.

Whether Bearman could handle the pressure of racing for Ferrari every week is yet to be seen, but the way he dealt with replacing Sainz at the last minute in Saudi Arabia last year suggests that he’s got what it takes to take Hamilton’s seat when he eventually retires.