Ollie Bearman dismisses talk of replacing Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari
Ollie Bearman has insisted his focus remains entirely on Haas despite speculation linking him with a move to replace Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari.
The 20-year-old addressed the ongoing rumours during an appearance on the High Performance Podcast.
When asked how much attention he pays to reports regarding a potential return to the Scuderia, Bearman was unequivocal.
“Zero. Nothing,” the English driver told host Jake Humphrey.
Bearman acknowledged that speculation has followed him since his cameo for the Italian team two years ago.
“Because I think I’ve been lucky in a way to have gotten that call two years ago and to do the race. And ever since then there have been those rumours and those things coming out, so it’s kind of just normal.”
He emphasised that he avoids seeking out media reports to maintain his concentration.
“First of all I don’t even see them because you have to go on Autosport or whatever to find them,” he added.
“My focus is not on those, it’s on the current project and hopefully we can do good things in 2026.”
Rapid rise at Haas
Bearman is coming off an impressive campaign with Haas, having finished 13th in the drivers’ standings last season.
The Chelmsford-born racer notably finished ahead of his experienced team-mate, Esteban Ocon.
His standout performance came at the Mexico City Grand Prix, where a fourth-place finish equalled the American team’s best-ever result.
Bearman originally made headlines in 2024 when he debuted for Ferrari in Jeddah as an 18-year-old, becoming the youngest points scorer in the team’s history while deputising for an unwell Carlos Sainz.
Hamilton’s difficult start
Speculation regarding the Ferrari seat has intensified following a challenging debut season for the seven-time world champion.
Hamilton, who turned 41 in January, finished sixth in the championship and failed to record a single podium finish.
It marked the first time in the veteran’s illustrious career that he has gone a full season without a top-three result.
The former Mercedes driver also trailed team-mate Charles Leclerc by more than 80 points in the final standings.
Sky Sports F1 reporter Ted Kravitz suggested in November that it was “clear as day” Bearman would eventually take the seat.
That sentiment was echoed by former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner, who labelled the youngster as the “obvious candidate” for the Maranello outfit.
