Because of Lewis Hamilton: Will Ollie Bearman have to bury his Ferrari dream?

When Lewis Hamilton had a difficult first season in red last year, some experts were already predicting he would retire. And the logical successor for the seven-time world champion would be Ollie Bearman, who is part of the Ferrari family and is doing a fine job for the Haas team. However, Hamilton has rediscovered his old form this year, and Bearman’s hopes of a swift move to the top team from Maranello are fading.

On the ‘Beyond the Grid’ podcast, the 21-year-old spoke about his future plans and explained: ‘A lot has changed over the past six months. As a Formula 1 fan and also a supporter of Lewis Hamilton, I’m naturally delighted that he’s racing at such a high level, and for us Brits it was a very special moment when he climbed onto the top step of the podium in Barcelona.”

But as far as his future is concerned, Bearman added with his usual candour that this had, of course, been anything but ideal. “But I’m still young – I’m only 21 – so there’s no rush, and for me, staying at Haas for the foreseeable future isn’t a bad thing. I feel that I can still learn and achieve a lot with this team. I really want to experience those highs again that we had in Mexico, for example, and in other races too. I think the team is on the right track and I’m very happy to be part of it.”

Bearman went on to admit that the team is currently going through a “difficult phase” which is shaping their character. However, he was quick to emphasise: “But I don’t want us to be seen as a team that had a really good season in our first year together but is now struggling to repeat that performance. I hope we can find a bit more performance and pick up some good points.”

Personal ambition comes first

When asked, Bearman made it clear that he was prepared to sacrifice his dream of moving up to Ferrari. He began by stating: “Of course, I feel a great sense of obligation to Ferrari, because they’ve supported me right from the start, ever since I entered Formula 3, and it’s only thanks to them that I’m sitting here today. So, on the one hand, I owe Ferrari a great deal.”

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“For me, Ferrari is the dream team, not just because I’m part of Ferrari, but simply because it’s probably the biggest brand in the world. So my goal remains to become a Ferrari driver one day. Of course, I don’t want to sit around for three, four or five years waiting for a seat to become available, because there are no guarantees, and you could end up wasting your best years,” the Briton continued.

“My main goal is perhaps a bit selfish, and that’s fine, because that’s the reason I’m here – namely, because I want to fight for the world championship title. So if I get that chance somewhere, I’ll seize it,” Bearman went on to reveal. “If that means it won’t be with Ferrari, because they can’t offer me that position, then so be it. That’s not in my hands.”