Is Oliver Bearman the next Max Verstappen? Former team boss weighs in on F1’s rising stars. F1 | Formula 1 looks to the future: “One of them could become the new Verstappen”.

A former paddock figure has shared his opinion on who could become the new Max Verstappen among the current Formula 1 drivers.

With the failure to win the drivers’ championship in 2025, Max Verstappen brought to an end a run of four consecutive world titles. Despite missing out on the championship crown, the Dutch driver was still widely regarded as the best performer of the season. Looking ahead, however, there is no longer absolute certainty about the future, and speculation has started to grow over who might be the next driver capable of reaching the level of the 1997-born star.

Max Verstappen, who made his Formula 1 debut in 2015, has so far achieved 71 race victories and four world titles, establishing himself as the main reference point of the category after taking over the mantle from Lewis Hamilton.

The rookies of 2024 and 2025

While the Dutchman was heavily involved in the world championship battle, Formula 1 also witnessed the arrival of several rookies on the grid. Jack Doohan, for example, was given only six races with Alpine before being replaced by Franco Colapinto, who already had nine Grands Prix under his belt with Williams during the 2024 season. Liam Lawson was also quickly demoted from Red Bull to Racing Bulls after completing a handful of races the previous year.

Then came the major arrivals of the 2025 season: Isack Hadjar, Kimi Antonelli, Gabriel Bortoleto and Oliver Bearman. All of them showed encouraging signs at various points during the year, drawing the attention of paddock insiders and team personnel. When Günther Steiner was asked which of them could become the “new” Verstappen, the former Haas team principal chose to broaden the discussion rather than focus on a single name.

The most promising drivers

“It’s too early to say,” he explained to Sport Krone. “But there have certainly been some promising performances,” said the Italian before expanding further. “I would include Oliver Bearman, who has shown flashes of his talent. And yes, also Gabriel Bortoleto: at the beginning he had a non-competitive car and went a bit under the radar, but when the car improved he showed what he is capable of.”

According to Steiner, the next two seasons will be decisive for their futures. Isack Hadjar, promoted to the seat left vacant by Yuki Tsunoda, will inevitably be under intense scrutiny, while Kimi Antonelli will need to take a clear step forward at Mercedes after an inconsistent debut campaign.

Gabriel Bortoleto, on the other hand, will continue with the same team, but with Audi’s official entry into Formula 1 the level of attention and expectation around him will increase significantly. Oliver Bearman, already mentioned by some as a possible future Ferrari driver, could be the one with the most straightforward path ahead of him in terms of career progression.

“Now we will see who really has what it takes to reach the top,” Steiner concluded. “In the second and third season you have to give everything. They certainly have the chance to make it, but it must also be said that a talent like Max Verstappen does not come along very often.”

“At least this year no rookie has disappointed, but Formula 1 is a very tough world: if you don’t keep delivering results, the opportunity immediately passes to someone else.”