Ferrari could extend Hamilton, Bearman exit door opens
That would create a significant problem
Lewis Hamilton could remain at Ferrari beyond even 2027, potentially blocking Oliver Bearman’s path to Maranello and eventually freeing the young Briton to leave the Ferrari system altogether.
Auto Motor und Sport’s Emily Madic reports that signs are increasingly pointing towards Ferrari keeping Hamilton, with Monza an obvious venue for an announcement.
Hamilton’s current arrangement includes the possibility of continuing into 2027, but speculation is now growing that Ferrari could go further and keep the 41-year-old into 2028.
That would create a significant problem for Bearman.
The Haas driver remains part of the Ferrari Driver Academy and has long been viewed as a future Ferrari race driver after his impressive stand-in appearance for the Scuderia in 2024.
But according to Auto Motor und Sport, Bearman is expected to remain tied to Ferrari only through the end of 2027.
"My goal remains to be a Ferrari driver one day," he told F1’s Beyond The Grid recently.
"But I don’t want to be sitting around for three, four, five years waiting for a seat to become available because there’s no guarantees, and then you can be wasting your best years."
"If that means it’s not with Ferrari because they can’t offer me that position, then that’s life."
If Ferrari does not promote him for 2028, he would then be free to leave Haas and Ferrari’s development structure and negotiate elsewhere.
Meanwhile, Ferrari is preparing a particularly symbolic home weekend at Monza.
The SF-26 will carry a special 1996-inspired livery, while Schumacher’s personal logo is also set to feature on Hamilton and Charles Leclerc’s overalls.
Ferrari is additionally expected to introduce its latest ADUO engine upgrade at Monza, with reports putting the combustion-engine gain at around 15 horsepower.