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Ollie Bearman picks one area where Lewis Hamilton is still the best driver in Formula 1

Originally posted on HITC | By David Comerford | Last updated Jul 19, 2025 6:48 AM ET

Oliver Bearman has a long-term ambition to fill Lewis Hamilton’s seat at Ferrari. He’s currently the top prospect in the team’s academy, and there are already discussions about him taking over when Hamilton eventually moves on.

When that time comes, Ferrari will have a decision to make: whether to promote from within or look outside the organisation for an established name. Bearman is tied to Haas for at least two more years.

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Hamilton’s deal with Ferrari also spans two years, but there are reports suggesting both sides could choose to extend it into 2027.

Now 40, Hamilton sits sixth in the world championship standings, trailing teammate Charles Leclerc by 16 points. He hasn’t made it onto the podium in any Grand Prix so far this season.

Oliver Bearman backs Lewis Hamilton as the toughest competitor in F1

Speaking to the ‘P1 with Matt and Tommy’ YouTube channel, Bearman was asked to put together his ideal driver. He said Max Verstappen is both the fastest and most adaptable on the current grid.

Bearman chose Michael Schumacher for fitness, even though the Ferrari icon retired at the end of 2012. The rookie said Schumacher was a real trailblazer when it came to physical preparation.

Photo by PIERO CRUCIATTI/AFP via Getty Images

But for mental toughness, he went straight to Hamilton. The 40-year-old has built his career on big comeback drives, with Germany 2018, Turkey 2020 and Brazil 2021 standing out as some of his best moments.

He’s also spoken openly about struggling after losing out in Abu Dhabi 2021 but still believes he can win an eighth world title before stepping away from the sport. “Racecraft? Me!” Bearman joked. “Raw speed? I’m not full of myself, I would say Verstappen.

“Mental strength? I guess Lewis. Adaptability? Max again. “Fitness? Maybe Schumacher. I think he was a pioneer for us in terms of fitness.”

Bearman thinks Ferrari have noticed him, but do the numbers support it?

Bearman’s still confident in his future with Ferrari. He told Motorsport.com he wants to be winning races in red.

“I’m sure that Maranello also believes in my qualities,” he said. “If they’ve supported me in recent years, even offering me the opportunity to be where I am, it’s because they believe that one day I’ll be able to race in a red suit.

“And that’s what gets me out of bed every morning and motivates me to improve, to become the best version of myself, because I want to race in red, I want to win in red. That’s my main motivation in life.”

Bearman is currently 18th after 12 races and has only scored points in three of them – all within the first four rounds.

He does have a positive head-to-head qualifying record against Ocon (6-7). But he’s been comfortably outscored by Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar and arguably Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli among this year’s rookies.

If Bearman is going to make that jump into a Ferrari seat anytime soon, he’ll need to string together more consistent results over the rest of the season.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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