Oliver Bearman could fall outside Ferrari’s control at the end of the 2026 Formula 1 season if the Scuderia cannot offer him a works seat, according to former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner. With Ferrari indicating that Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will remain its driver pairing for 2027, the British prospect’s route to Maranello appears blocked for at least another year.
Guenther Steiner believes the situation may activate a contractual mechanism allowing Oliver Bearman to become a free agent. Such an outcome would present Ferrari with a difficult choice: provide the young driver with a credible promotion timetable or risk losing one of the leading talents developed through its academy system.
Oliver Bearman’s Ferrari contract may contain an exit route
Oliver Bearman has been associated with Ferrari since joining its driver academy in 2021. That relationship produced an unexpected Formula 1 opportunity at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, when Carlos Sainz was ruled out through illness and Bearman was asked to take his place.
The teenager delivered an impressive performance on his Grand Prix debut, and his appearance for Ferrari in Jeddah helped strengthen his case for a permanent place on the grid. He subsequently secured a full-time seat with Ferrari engine customer Haas for the 2025 season.
Speaking on the Red Flags podcast, Guenther Steiner suggested that Oliver Bearman would probably no longer be classified as a Ferrari junior in 2027. In his assessment, the Haas driver would therefore be free to negotiate his future independently if Ferrari did not promote him to its works team.
Guenther Steiner explained that junior-driver agreements commonly contain provisions releasing a driver when a works opportunity has not been provided within a defined period. He expected Ferrari to make an effort to retain Oliver Bearman but was uncertain whether the existing contractual terms would allow the Scuderia to do so without promising him a race seat.
The former Haas team principal also questioned why Oliver Bearman would agree to remain under Ferrari’s control indefinitely without a clear promotion date. However, he acknowledged that the driver’s immediate alternatives may be limited because few competitive seats are currently expected to become available.
Lewis Hamilton’s resurgence changes Oliver Bearman’s Ferrari prospects
Oliver Bearman’s promotion appeared more realistic after Lewis Hamilton endured a poor first season with Ferrari. The seven-time world champion’s improved performances in 2026 have since changed that picture and strengthened the case for maintaining the current line-up.
Ferrari’s intention to continue with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc in 2027 would leave no immediate opening for its academy graduate. If Oliver Bearman remains with Haas throughout that season, he will have spent at least three full years racing in the midfield before receiving another opportunity to join Ferrari.
The situation leaves Maranello balancing its long-term investment in Oliver Bearman against the immediate value of an established driver pairing. Lewis Hamilton’s recovery has also increased his importance to Ferrari’s championship campaign, making an early change considerably harder to justify.
Oliver Bearman has previously remained patient about the timing of a potential promotion, while Guenther Steiner has identified him as a possible long-term successor to Lewis Hamilton. The latest contract claim nevertheless suggests Ferrari may not have unlimited time to make that succession plan work.
Red Bull interest adds another dimension to the 2027 driver market
The source article also reports that Red Bull are interested in Oliver Bearman, although it indicates that any serious move would probably depend on Max Verstappen leaving the team. No offer or formal negotiation is described as having taken place.
Red Bull’s position would also depend on how the team evaluates its existing drivers. Isack Hadjar is already being discussed as a potential future Red Bull team leader, meaning Oliver Bearman would not necessarily have a clear route into the team even if Max Verstappen departed.
Nevertheless, the possibility of Oliver Bearman becoming contractually independent would make him a more accessible option for rival teams. Ferrari could then lose the ability to determine where a driver developed through its own academy continues his Formula 1 career.
Haas regression checks Oliver Bearman’s strong start
Oliver Bearman began the 2026 campaign with seventh place at the Australian Grand Prix and fifth in China. Haas subsequently lost ground relative to its midfield rivals, and the British driver has added only one Grand Prix point since his result in Shanghai.
He currently occupies 13th place in the Drivers’ Championship with 18 points. Despite Haas’ recent difficulties, Oliver Bearman has held a significant advantage over Esteban Ocon in sessions where both drivers were classified, leading the comparison by 20 to five according to the source.
Guenther Steiner characterised the difference between the two Haas drivers as one of the largest on the grid. He also maintained that their usual pace gap was substantial and concluded that Esteban Ocon was unlikely to have a future with the team beyond the current season.
Rafael Câmara named as a possible Esteban Ocon replacement
When considering possible replacements for Esteban Ocon, Guenther Steiner selected fellow Ferrari junior Rafael Câmara as the most likely candidate. The Brazilian won the 2025 Formula 3 championship and currently occupies third place in the 2026 Formula 2 standings.
Rafael Câmara has already taken important steps towards Formula 1 eligibility, and his emergence as a potential Haas candidate would give Ferrari another possible route for developing one of its academy drivers at the American team.
Haas have also been linked with Yuki Tsunoda. However, Guenther Steiner considered that option difficult because of the Japanese driver’s established association with Honda. He argued that a move to a team carrying Toyota title sponsorship could create complications given the commercial rivalry between the two Japanese manufacturers.
Guenther Steiner therefore regarded Rafael Câmara as the favourite if Haas decide to replace Esteban Ocon. That possibility would add another layer to Ferrari’s driver-management challenge: while Rafael Câmara could begin following Oliver Bearman’s path through Haas, Bearman himself may be approaching the point at which he can choose a future beyond Ferrari.
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