The Bear to replace the GOAT: what Bearman’s 2024 debut and 2025 form reveal about Ferrari’s plan

A driver, who not only possesses the quality to have him marked as one of the most-exciting prospects in F1, but also someone who has a long-term connection with the Italian team.

Ollie Bearman’s credentials are built on a foundation of impressive junior success.

After dominating the Italian and German Formula 4 Championships in 2021, he graduated to Formula 2, where he captured multiple wins, poles, and podiums during the 2023 season.

Perhaps his defining moment was in 2024, when he was called up at the last minute to replace an Carlos Sainz for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after the Spanish driver had appendicitis.

Without warning and with extremely limited practice, Bearman defied the odds and qualified respectably and finished seventh - scoring points on debut for Ferrari.

That performance immediately validated his potential and demonstrated an ability to handle extreme pressure with calm professionalism.

Since joining the Ferrari Driver Academy, Bearman has been developed strategically as part of Ferrari’s long-term plan.

His 2025 loan-move to Haas F1 - a team closely aligned with Ferrari with its technical partnership, gives him the ideal platform to gain consistent race experience while remaining under the Ferrari umbrella.

Rather like George Russell’s spell at Williams, the time at Haas will allow Bearman time to develop as a driver, learn - and make mistakes without the pressure of driving for a leading team.

Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu has already said he sees Bearman as “a future Ferrari driver,” and that view aligns perfectly with the timing of Hamilton’s two-year contract, which expires at the end of 2026.

Born in 2005, Bearman represents the new generation of drivers who are not only quick but adaptable to evolving car designs and technologies. With Formula 1 entering new aerodynamic and engine eras, Bearman is well-placed not only to learn from Charles Leclerc but also represents a driver who could anchor Ferrari’s future for the next decade. Bearman has been part of the team’s junior system since 2021, learning its methods, values, and expectations from the inside.

Crucially too, he moved to Italy, can speak the language and understands the culture. Few rookies - if any other - embody both the speed and the temperament required to wear the iconic red overalls, yet Bearman has shown he can.

This season, he has impressed at Haas, his fourth place in the Mexico City Grand Prix the obvious stand out result as he sits in 13th place in the drivers’ championship - above his vastly experienced teammate Esteban Ocon and Lance Stroll, Yuki Tsunoda and Pierre Gasly. Bearman is just five points shy of matching Fernando Alonso’s total so far in 2025.

For the time being, there is no indication when Hamilton will eventually call time on his glittering F1 career.

The Brit has the record that without questions places him as the greatest of all time. However, it is now entirely plausible that the Bear eventually replaces the Goat in F1’s most-famous team.

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