Ferrari have valid Lewis Hamilton backup plan after '2026 contract decision made'
Lewis Hamilton is approaching his 41st birthday and Ferrari would be negligent not to plan for their Formula 1 future without him, which is where another Brit comes into the picture
Lewis Hamilton is the first Brit for more than two decades to race full-time for Ferrari. The emergence of another bright British Formula 1 talent seems to be happening at the right time for the famous Italian team.
Because they will arrive at a crossroads next year when it comes to their seven-time World champion, who turns 41 in January. There is already uncertainty over Hamilton's long-term future amid reports that senior figures at the team are currently reluctant to offer a contract extension beyond the 2026 season.
If the car is competitive and Hamilton finds his groove, they will be delighted. And if it turns out to be his final year in F1, they look increasingly likely to turn to the man of the moment: Oliver Bearman.
He was just a teenager when he made his F1 debut for Ferrari last year, scoring points as a teenager when Carlos Sainz was struck down with appendicitis. Now 20, Bearman has learned that a first full season is a steep learning curve.
The talent has always been there and now he is beginning to shine, having found his feet at Haas. He finished in the top 10 in just two of the first 17 Grands Prix of the year. But Bearman has now scored points in each of the last three, most notably last Sunday when he finished fourth in Mexico.
Not only did he match Haas' best ever result in their 10-year history, but he did it by overtaking the likes of Max Verstappen and George Russell on track. It was a display of not only talent but also guts – even if he did admit afterwards that he was "s***ting himself" going wheel-to-wheel with the Dutchman's Red Bull.
READ MORE: Lewis Hamilton's difficult first year at Ferrari summed up as rival exposes 'chaos'READ MORE: Toto Wolff in furious 'lunatic' blast as he proves who his biggest F1 enemy isBearman already had a lot of admirers in the F1 paddock, and now many of them back him to be able to take the next step when the opportunity comes. He is still a Ferrari driver, effectively on loan at their customer team to blood him at the peak of single-seater motorsport.
The hope was that he might one day be Hamilton's successor and the unimpeachably respected Martin Brundle is among those who wants to see it happen. "The moment that there's a seat at Ferrari for whatever reason, then Bearman should be in it as far as I'm concerned," he said of the young Brit.
Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur rarely gives anything away but even he admitted Bearman's position is "paying off", having been impressed by the 20-year-old's display in Mexico.
It will be a sad day for F1 and all of British sport when Hamilton does eventually call it a day. But if Bearman can continue his upward trajectory, perhaps Ferrari will continue to fly the British flag long after the seven-time champ is gone.
Formula 1 fans can watch every practice, qualifying and race live with Sky's new Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle in a new deal that saves £192.
As well as Sky Sports access, this includes more than 100 TV channels and free subscriptions to Netflix and Discovery+.