The grandeur of Formula 1 is often defined by its fairy tales, but for Lewis Hamilton and the Tifosi, the 2025 season has read more like a tragedy. What was billed as the “transfer of the century”—the seven-time World Champion donning the iconic scarlet red of Scuderia Ferrari—has, according to insiders and startling statistics, dissolved into a competitive nightmare. As the dust settles on a season that promised a glorious new chapter, whispers in the paddock are growing deafening: Could Lewis Hamilton’s time at Ferrari be cut short by a 20-year-old prodigy?
The Dream Turned Dust
The narrative going into 2025 was cinematic. Hamilton, the sport’s most successful driver, joining forces with its most historic team. It was supposed to be the final, triumphant act of a legendary career. However, the reality of the racetrack has been brutal and unforgiving.
For the first time in his illustrious career, Hamilton has concluded a full Formula 1 season without standing on a Grand Prix podium. His solitary taste of champagne came from a Sprint race victory in China—a fleeting moment of joy in what he has candidly described as a “nightmare year.” Finishing a distant sixth in the Driver’s Championship is a bitter pill to swallow, but the internal comparison is far more damaging.
Charles Leclerc, driving the exact same machinery, managed to wrestle the unpredictable Ferrari to seven podium finishes, outscoring the British legend by a staggering 86 points. In the ruthless mathematics of Formula 1, that gap is not just a statistic; it is a chasm. It signals a disconnect between driver and car that has sent the Italian press into a frenzy and the rumor mill into overdrive.
The $55 Million Dilemma
Initially, the paddock operated under the assumption that Hamilton’s tenure was a standard two-year agreement, seeing him through to the regulation changes of 2026. However, recent leaks from the respected German outlet Bild have dropped a contract bombshell. Hamilton’s deal reportedly runs through the end of 2027, with an option to extend into 2028.
If fulfilled, Hamilton would be racing for the Prancing Horse at 43 years old. The financial commitment from Ferrari is equally staggering, with a reported salary exceeding €55 million annually. This “long-term” vision was meant to signal stability and ambition. Instead, it has highlighted the precarious nature of high-stakes sports management. A contract, no matter how lucrative, cannot drive the car.
Sources from within the walls of Maranello suggest the relationship is already fraying under the weight of underperformance. While Team Principal Fred Vasseur has publicly attempted to douse the flames—stating, “We need to improve our collaboration with Lewis… we need to better understand exactly what he needs”—the subtext is clear. There is a struggle to adapt, and time is a luxury Ferrari rarely affords its drivers.
Quiet whispers emerging from Italy suggest a drastic scenario: if the 2026 challenger does not immediately prove to be a front-runner, Hamilton could choose to walk away, retiring from the sport entirely. And if that unthinkable dominance crumbles, Ferrari is not left without options. In fact, they have a “Plan B” that looks increasingly like a masterstroke.
Enter the Prodigy: Oliver Bearman
While the spotlight burned harshly on Hamilton, a star was quietly going supernova in the midfield. Oliver “Ollie” Bearman, the 20-year-old British sensation and jewel of the Ferrari Driver Academy, has delivered a rookie season that defies logic.
Driving for Haas, a team historically entrenched in the midfield battle, Bearman didn’t just participate; he dominated. Finishing 13th in the championship with 41 points might seem modest on paper, but context is king. Bearman completely dismantled his teammate, the Grand Prix-winning veteran Esteban Ocon, and became the first driver in Haas history to score points in five consecutive races.
His rise has been described as “meteoric,” a term often overused but entirely appropriate here. This isn’t a driver who is slowly learning the ropes. Bearman arrived with the poise of a veteran and the aggression of a future champion.
The Mexican Masterclass
If there was a singular moment that announced Bearman’s readiness for the big stage, it was the Mexican Grand Prix. The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, with its high altitude and thin air, is a notorious car-breaker and tire-killer. It is a circuit that punishes inexperience.
Starting ninth on the grid, Bearman produced a drive of such maturity that it left the paddock stunned. Managing his tires flawlessly in conditions that caught out world champions, he executed a strategy that was aggressive yet surgically precise. In the dying laps of the race, he found himself in fourth place, with the Mercedes of George Russell breathing down his neck.
The pressure was immense. A rookie in a Haas holding off a Mercedes is a mismatch of engineering might. Yet, Bearman didn’t put a wheel wrong. He placed his car exactly where it needed to be, lap after agonizing lap, forcing Russell to settle. It was a defensive masterclass that felt like a victory for the American team, proving Bearman possesses that rare “race intelligence” that usually takes a decade to acquire.
The Kingmaker’s Endorsement
The hype surrounding Bearman is not generated by fans alone; it is being propelled by the most respected voices in the sport. Guenther Steiner, the former Haas boss known for his blunt honesty, didn’t hesitate to name Bearman his “Rookie of the Year.”
“For me, it’s Ollie Bearman,” Steiner stated, noting the driver’s incredible mid-season transformation. “In the first half… he was taking too much risk. But the second half? It’s just like a switch.” Steiner went a step further, predicting the inevitable: “I think for him the door should be open to Ferrari for 2027… If Lewis hasn’t got the success he needs, I don’t think he continues. And then there is the obvious candidate.”
Perhaps the most significant seal of approval comes from Jock Clear. A veteran engineer who has worked with Michael Schumacher, Jacques Villeneuve, and Hamilton himself, Clear recently headed the Ferrari Driver Academy. He knows the DNA of a world champion.
When asked if Bearman has what it takes to win the ultimate prize, Clear was emphatic. “I see no reason why Ollie Bearman cannot become a world champion,” he declared. Clear highlighted Bearman’s frightening ability to learn and adapt, noting that while his teammate Ocon is no amateur, Bearman was “almost always just that little bit faster.”
The Inevitable Succession
The situation at Ferrari has evolved into a fascinating juxtaposition. On one side of the garage, you have the fading legend, struggling to find harmony with his machine. On the other side of the pit lane, you have the readymade replacement, polished and perfected within Ferrari’s own system.
Bearman represents the ideal succession plan. He has been in the Ferrari system since late 2021. He understands the unique pressure, the politics, and the passion of the Tifosi. Unlike an external hire who might struggle to adapt to the culture (a struggle Hamilton is currently enduring), Bearman is “one of their own.”
A future lineup of Charles Leclerc and Oliver Bearman—two Ferrari Academy graduates—offers a tantalizing vision of stability and explosive speed for the next decade. It is a pairing forged in the fires of Maranello.
As the 2026 season approaches, the question hanging over the paddock is no longer if Oliver Bearman will drive for Ferrari, but when. With Hamilton’s form dipping and the pressure mounting, that transition could happen much sooner than the contracts suggest. The future is knocking at the door in Maranello, and it’s wearing a racing suit that fits a lot better than the current one.