Red Bull’s reported interest in Oliver Bearman may face a major contractual obstacle, with Haas understood to hold an option that would keep the Ferrari-backed British driver with the American team throughout the 2027 Formula 1 season. Laurent Mekies is believed to be a strong admirer of Bearman as Red Bull assesses its longer-term driver options amid continuing uncertainty surrounding Max Verstappen, but the 21-year-old may not be realistically available next year.
The situation adds another layer to an increasingly complicated 2027 driver market. Bearman remains part of Ferrari’s plans while developing with Haas, yet there is currently no obvious route into a Maranello race seat. At the same time, Red Bull has already been linked with Oliver Bearman as a potential option if Verstappen eventually leaves.
Haas reportedly has an Oliver Bearman option for 2027
Bearman’s original arrangement with Haas was confirmed for the 2025 and 2026 Formula 1 seasons, leading to questions over where he could race once that initial period ended. However, RacingNews365 reports that Haas also has an option to extend the Ferrari driver’s loan through the 2027 campaign.
The American team is expected to exercise that option and retain Bearman for another season. Ferrari’s own driver situation provides Haas with a strong reason to do so, because there currently appears to be no room for the British prospect to step up to the works team in 2027.
Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur have maintained that the seven-time world champion remains contracted to the Scuderia through at least 2027. Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, signed another long-term Ferrari agreement in June that is described as extending beyond the 2030 season. With both seats therefore occupied, Maranello would have nowhere to promote Bearman next year.
That leaves Haas in a position to benefit from Ferrari maintaining its current driver pairing. If the 2027 option is activated as expected, Bearman would continue gaining Formula 1 experience with the American team while remaining under Ferrari’s control. It would also potentially close off one of Red Bull’s most interesting alternatives for the following season.
Laurent Mekies faces uncertainty over Max Verstappen
Red Bull’s interest is linked closely to the uncertainty surrounding Max Verstappen. Laurent Mekies has been forced to consider the shape of the 2027 driver market because the four-time world champion now has an active release clause that could allow him to leave the team.
Verstappen is understood to have until October to activate a clause connected to his position in the Drivers’ Championship at the summer break, when he was outside the top two. It has also been suggested that another exit mechanism exists in his contract and is linked to Red Bull’s position in the 2026 Constructors’ Championship.
Against that background, Bearman has emerged as an appealing candidate. There is also an existing connection between the British youngster and Mekies from the Frenchman’s years at Maranello, when Bearman entered the Ferrari Driver Academy. If Red Bull eventually needed to replace Verstappen with another potential long-term leader, the Haas driver could therefore become part of the discussion.
The reported Haas option, however, could force Red Bull to wait until 2028 before having a realistic opportunity to pursue him.
Reported Haas clause challenges Guenther Steiner’s Bearman prediction
The 2027 option also creates a different picture from the one recently outlined by former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner. Steiner had suggested that Bearman could become free to leave Ferrari at the end of 2026 because the Scuderia would not have a place available for him in its Formula 1 line-up.
That interpretation had already been challenged by Bearman himself at the Belgian Grand Prix in July. The Briton indicated that Ferrari would still control his future for 2027, contradicting the suggestion that he would simply become available to rival teams once the current season ended.
If Haas does possess and exercise an extension option, Red Bull’s difficulty would shift from persuading Bearman to leave Ferrari to waiting for his contractual situation to change. By 2028, another factor could become decisive: whether Hamilton chooses to continue racing for Ferrari beyond the end of 2027.
Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari future could shape Bearman’s career
Bearman has long been regarded by Ferrari as a potential eventual successor to Hamilton, and his performances for Haas continue to demonstrate why Maranello holds him in such high regard. In 2026, the 21-year-old has scored 18 of Haas’ 21 points and is increasingly establishing himself as a team leader, regularly extracting the available performance from the car.
His immediate problem is that Hamilton’s 2026 resurgence has complicated Bearman’s route to Ferrari. The young Briton has acknowledged that the seven-time world champion’s improved form does not help his own career plans, particularly because he does not want to spend another three, four or five years simply waiting for a Maranello seat to become available.
That creates a delicate situation for Ferrari. The Scuderia wants to maintain an experienced and competitive Formula 1 line-up while also protecting the future of one of the most highly regarded drivers to emerge from its academy. Bearman can continue developing at Haas for now, but his longer-term ambitions inevitably extend beyond remaining indefinitely in the midfield.
The same issue has already made Ferrari’s control of Oliver Bearman’s future an increasingly important question. Retaining him through Haas in 2027 would buy Maranello another year, but it would not necessarily resolve what happens afterwards if both Ferrari race seats remain occupied.
Red Bull may need to wait until 2028 for Oliver Bearman
For Red Bull, the reported clause means Bearman may be more of a medium-term opportunity than an immediate solution. Even if Verstappen decides to leave, Haas exercising its option would appear to make a 2027 move considerably more difficult and potentially remove Bearman from consideration for that season.
The position could become very different one year later. If Hamilton elects to retire or leave Ferrari after 2027, Bearman’s long-awaited opportunity at Maranello could finally emerge. If the seven-time champion instead chooses to extend his Ferrari career, the British youngster may have to decide how long he is prepared to remain patient.
That tension is central to Bearman’s potential timeline for a Ferrari race seat. Haas can provide valuable Formula 1 experience and Ferrari continues to control an important part of his career path, but Red Bull’s interest illustrates why the Scuderia may eventually face competition if it cannot create a clear route for its young prospect.
For the moment, the reported 2027 Haas option could preserve Ferrari’s preferred development plan and frustrate Red Bull’s hopes of moving quickly. Beyond that, Bearman’s future may depend increasingly on what Hamilton decides to do and whether Maranello can finally create the opening its academy graduate has been working towards.
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