Lewis Hamilton will be relieved to hear potential Ferrari successor still has more ‘proving’ to do

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There has been a lot of talk about Lewis Hamilton’s future beyond the end of the 2026 Formula 1 season recently.

The Briton’s tenure with the Scuderia has failed to live up to expectations this year, as he sits sixth in the drivers’ championship. In short, Ferrari haven’t given him the car that he deserved, but he has also taken too long to get to grips with their machinery.

Hamilton will have expected a lot more from himself and his team, but it’s too late to go back and change any of it now. The focus is turning to the 2026 F1 regulations, which may be his last chance to really make a push for an eighth title before bowing out of the championship.

The paddock thinks Oliver Bearman could replace Hamilton, but he’s still competing in his rookie season. Hamilton’s body language has been a cause for concern as the year has grown, but that may just be symptomatic of being in a bad car and situation for the time being. Improvements have to come soon.

READ MORE: Damon Hill questions Lewis Hamilton’s reputation as a ‘clean racer’ after seeing worrying pattern

Lewis Hamilton will be relieved to hear Oliver Bearman has more ‘proving’ to do before Ferrari consider him

Fans think Ferrari are blaming their drivers, when above all, it’s the team’s decisions that keep preventing them from challenging for titles. There’s a reason why their culture has failed to bring them a championship since 2008, 17 years ago.

Signing a seven-time champion was meant to be one of the final ingredients in the recipe. A sort of kickstarter for a serious title challenge. So far, that hasn’t been the case, but 2026 will say a lot about the direction of their group.

Fortunately, with no obvious replacements around, Hamilton doesn’t have much to worry about in terms of his seat for the time being. Dutch commentator Nelson Valkenburg thinks his biggest threat, Oliver Bearman, still has ‘a lot of proving to do’ before he can be considered for a role in Italy.

“Right now, it’s not a foregone conclusion [Bearman to Ferrari],” he said on The Race’s F1 Podcast. “He has got a lot of proving to do, he has got a lot of growing to do.

“As far as rookie seasons go, I’d rather have quick, but erratic, with an upward trajectory, and I think Haas is the perfect team for him. He doesn’t need to go to Ferrari next year, he has the time to improve there, learn the trade more, get more consistent.”

READ MORE: Charles Leclerc admits he’s still not ‘on the same level’ as Lewis Hamilton despite dominating Ferrari battle

How Lewis Hamilton is starting to show encouraging signs recently

While Hamilton has struggled in 2025, his recent improvements cannot be ignored when addressing his season.

In Mexico, he would have been in the fight for a podium if his teammate hadn’t cut turn one on lap one and kept the position, while his qualifying pace was encouraging, too.

Routinely, he’s finding a way to score solid points, but nothing spectacular. A lot can be said about his consistency amid what has been a tough time. He isn’t forcing results and making mistakes.

Hamilton is missing a vital ingredient at Ferrari, and a change at race engineer may be required over the winter to maximise his returns.

It might be the final piece in his puzzle to really start challenging Charles Leclerc at every race and build some confidence.