Lewis Hamilton’s miserable debut season as a Ferrari F1 driver hit a new low at the Hungarian Grand Prix, when the Briton suggested the Scuderia should replace him.
The 2025 season started as a childhood dream coming true for the 40-year-old after moving from Mercedes to Maranello after 12 terms in Brackley. But Hamilton has thus far endured a nightmare more than a dream, with the seven-time champion struggling to adjust to Ferrari.
Never before in Hamilton’s 19-year Formula 1 career had he ever failed to score a Grand Prix podium finish through the first 10 rounds of a campaign. Yet the 202-time podium finisher is still to get on a Grand Prix rostrum in red after the first 14 of the 24 rounds coming this year.
Hamilton even boasts his lowest points tally after 14 rounds since F1 introduced the current points format in 2010, with a mere 109. The Hungarian GP also saw Hamilton fail to score a single point in a Grand Prix with Ferrari for the first time, as he only managed to secure P12.
Photo by Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesFerrari have already chosen Haas rookie Oliver Bearman as Lewis Hamilton’s replacement, if he retires
The blows came early in Budapest, too, as Hamilton called himself “useless” after qualifying P12 for the Hungarian GP while teammate Charles Leclerc scored pole. It also saw Hamilton suggest Ferrari “need to change driver” after failing to reach Q3 for the fourth time in 2025.
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SEASONTEAMPOINTSWINSPODIUMS2010McLaren182372011McLaren168242012McLaren142362013Mercedes161152014Mercedes2417112015Mercedes2778122016Mercedes2506112017Mercedes263792018Mercedes2566112019Mercedes2848122020Mercedes30710122021Mercedes221.5 (inc 2 from 1 F1 Sprint)4102022Mercedes146 (inc 1 from 1 F1 Sprint)062023Mercedes164 (inc 4 from 2 F1 Sprints)042024Mercedes150 (inc 10 from 2 F1 Sprints)242025Ferrari109 (inc 14 from 3 F1 Sprints)00Lewis Hamilton’s points after 14 rounds since F1 changed its point-scoring system in 2010
Ferrari have zero plans to replace Hamilton for the 2026 F1 season, though. But Auto Motor und Sport reports that the Scuderia have already chosen Haas rookie Oliver Bearman as the driver who would replace Hamilton, should the 105-time Grand Prix winner decide to retire.
Retirement is the only realistic route that would yield a premature end to Hamilton’s £39m-a-year Ferrari contract through 2026, which also includes an option for 2027. But Ferrari are prepared to promote Bearman, as their academy product is ‘available’ to replace Hamilton.
Hamilton is not currently planning on retiring from F1, so Haas can continue to plan for next year with Bearman running alongside Esteban Ocon. Yet, should the seven-time champion’s plight persist and he calls it quits, then Bearman ‘would step up’ to drive for Ferrari in 2026.
Ferrari have long seen Oliver Bearman as their future Formula 1 driver
Photo by Malcolm Griffiths – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images
Bearman has endured an up-and-down first full season on the F1 grid with Haas in 2025. But the Ferrari product retains the full support of the Scuderia’s management in case Hamilton’s woes tempt the 104-time Grand Prix polesitter to retire before F1’s 2026 regulations arrive.
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CategoryOliver BearmanEsteban Ocon2025 points827Grand Prix results68Grand Prix qualifying59Grand Prix wins00Grand Prix poles00Grand Prix podiums00Best finish8th5thRetirements21Retirements (classified finish)00Disqualifications00Fastest laps00Grand Prix points finishes35Sprint results12Sprint Qualifying12Sprint wins00Sprint poles00Sprint podiums00The 2025 F1 teammate head-to-head battle of Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon
It has also long been said that it is only a matter of time before Bearman drives for Ferrari as long as he impresses with Haas this year. The 20-year-old so far boasts just eight points and has not finished a Grand Prix in the top 10 since race four, but he has come 11th four times.
Bearman has even reached Q3 twice, as many times as Ocon has, and reached Q2 a further six times, once more than his one-time Grand Prix-winning teammate. The Briton and Ocon have also qualified as high as P8 once, but Bearman would not start the British GP from P8.