Despite this, Lewis Hamilton has been emphatic that he intends to fulfil his Ferrari contract and continue racing in Formula 1 for the next few years. In public, the seven-time world champion has dismissed any talk of an early exit. However, privately, Ferrari would be failing in its duty if it did not prepare for every scenario.
In Maranello, a clear Plan B is already taking shape in the form of Oliver Bearman.
Consistent performances by the British rookie
The 20-year-old Briton produced a remarkable surge in form during the final third of the 2025 season. His results speak for themselves. He qualified ninth in Singapore and finished the race in the same position.
Eighth in qualifying in Austin, then ninth on Sunday. He finished ninth again in Mexico, before delivering a standout fourth-place finish in the Grand Prix. He was eighth on the grid in Brazil and sixth at the finish, before finally finishing tenth in Las Vegas. This run underlined both his consistency and growing confidence at the highest level.
Bearman himself is realistic about where he stands. During an end-of-season media session, he struck a balance between self-belief and caution.
“Well, I’m driving in Formula 1; you have to believe in yourself,” he said. “So yes, I think I’m ready for the promotion, but I still have to prove myself. It’s not like everything suddenly changes after five or six good races.”
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Significant progress over the year
He was also quick to highlight that his progress has not been linear.
“It’s easy to forget that I finished eleventh four times in a row in the middle of the season. That was consistent, but simply not good enough.”
According to Bearman, the turning point came after the summer break. “I’ve definitely improved. I’ve found a really good rhythm and momentum, so I’d say I’m ready.”
From Ferrari’s perspective, that readiness matters. Should Hamilton unexpectedly step away from active racing, Bearman would be a logical and low-risk choice to partner Charles Leclerc: he is young and fast, already embedded in the Ferrari ecosystem and familiar with the pressures that come with wearing red.
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British drivers at Ferrari
Hamilton’s arrival at Ferrari at the start of the 2025 season was one of the biggest stories in the history of Formula 1. The most successful driver in history joining the most successful team was supposed to mark the beginning of a new era. However, the first year proved underwhelming, with no Grand Prix podiums, sixth place in the World Championship and only a sprint victory in China as a minor highlight.
British drivers at Ferrari are a rare phenomenon. Ten drivers from Great Britain have raced for the Scuderia as works drivers, including Hamilton, but only two achieved the ultimate success. Mike Hawthorn won the world title in 1958, followed by John Surtees in 1964.
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A storied history of British drivers at Ferrari
Before Hamilton, the last Briton to race for Ferrari was Eddie Irvine. After Michael Schumacher broke his leg at Silverstone in 1999, Irvine came close to winning the championship, ultimately losing out to Mika Häkkinen.
Statistically, Irvine made the most Ferrari starts of any British driver, with 65 races. Surtees and Irvine share the record for the most Ferrari wins by a British driver with four each, while Hawthorn and Surtees achieved the most pole positions with four apiece.
History also shows that Maranello has not always been a comfortable place for British drivers. Surtees and Nigel Mansell were among those who left Ferrari disillusioned, citing internal politics and relentless pressure. Should his moment come, Bearman will need to heed this history as both a warning and a challenge.
Important Hamilton decision made at Ferrari
NEXT ARTICLE: Contract bombshell for Lewis Hamilton, new details leaked in the German press
Fresh revelations surrounding Lewis Hamilton’s future at Ferrari have rocked Formula 1, with new reports suggesting his contract with the Scuderia is significantly longer than initially assumed. According to Bild, the seven-time world champion is secured not only for the upcoming regulatory era, but also for a period well beyond 2026.
The German publication claims that Hamilton’s Ferrari deal runs until at least the end of the 2027 Formula 1 season. Even more intriguingly, the contract reportedly includes a unilateral option that would allow Hamilton to extend his stay by a further year, potentially keeping him at Ferrari until the end of 2028.
Hamilton’s clause
If he activates this clause, he will be 43 years old when the agreement expires. This information from BILD contrasts sharply with the widespread belief that Hamilton’s commitment to Ferrari would end in 2026, when the new engine regulations come into effect.
Neither Hamilton nor Ferrari has publicly confirmed the precise duration of the contract. When the blockbuster move was officially announced in February 2024, both parties described it only as a ‘multi-year’ agreement, leaving room…READ MORE
Thiago Treze is a Brazilian motorsport writer at TJ13 with a background in sports journalism and broadcast media, alongside an academic foundation in engineering with a focus on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). This combination of technical knowledge and editorial experience allows Thiago to approach Formula 1 from both a performance and narrative perspective.
At TJ13, Treze covers driver performance, career developments, and key storylines across the Formula 1 grid, while also analysing the technical factors that influence competitiveness. This includes aerodynamic development trends, simulation-driven design approaches, and the engineering decisions that shape race weekend outcomes.
His reporting bridges the gap between human performance and machine development, helping readers understand how driver execution and technical innovation interact in modern Formula 1. Coverage often connects on-track events with the underlying engineering philosophies that define each team’s approach.
With a global perspective shaped by both journalism and technical study, Thiago also focuses on Formula 1’s international reach and the different ways the sport is experienced across regions.
Treze has a particular interest in how Computational Fluid Dynamics and aerodynamic modelling contribute to car performance, offering accessible explanations of complex technical concepts within Formula 1.
