Lewis Hamilton is now officially a Ferrari Formula 1 driver, with the New Year also the start of the seven-time champion’s contract with the Scuderia after leaving Mercedes.
But how long Hamilton spends at Maranello with Ferrari man Charles Leclerc to some extent still remains to be seen. The Briton has departed Brackley for the last time to launch his new adventure in red. Yet drivers are already lining up to swiftly steal one of the Scuderia’s seats.
Ferrari are on paper locked in through at least the 2026 season with Hamilton arriving on an initial two-year contract with the option for a third. He put pen to paper on that deal back in February 2024, shortly after Ferrari gifted Leclerc a new contract through the 2029 season.
It is ‘a matter of time’ before 2025 Haas F1 driver Oliver Bearman joins Ferrari
But the F1 driver market always remains in motion and Gazzetta dello Sport reports that it is ‘only a matter of time’ before a new driver moves to Ferrari – putting Hamilton and Leclerc’s long-term futures in doubt. Leclerc’s contract with Ferrari contains a number of exit clauses.
That driver is Oliver Bearman, who is making his full-time graduation from Formula 2 into F1 with Haas in 2025. The Ferrari Driver Academy product will not officially count as a rookie in his first complete Formula 1 season after contesting three Grand Prix during the 2024 term.
READ MORE: Who is 2025 Haas driver Oliver Bearman? Everything to know
Bearman impressed with his rookie F1 outings, including making a sudden debut for Ferrari in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix as Carlos Sainz required emergency surgery for appendicitis. He also stood in for Kevin Magnussen in the Azerbaijan and Sao Paulo Grands Prix for Haas.
Now, if Bearman can maintain his early promise and cement himself as a Formula 1 star, the expectation is that it is ‘only a matter of time’ before the Briton graduates to Ferrari. Leclerc took a similar route after debuting for Sauber in 2018 before joining Ferrari the next season.
Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton could both leave Ferrari in 2026
It is likely that Bearman is the lowest-paid driver on the 2025 F1 grid, with Haas said to only be paying the Briton just £300,000 for his first full Formula 1 season. In comparison, Ferrari have one of the biggest wage bills with Hamilton and Leclerc’s base wages £39m and £25m.
In the unlikely event that money would be a vital factor to decide the Scuderia’s driver line-up, then promoting Bearman would save Ferrari a fortune but also force either of Hamilton or Leclerc to leave Maranello. Ferrari would also make a fortune if Leclerc were to walk out.
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Reports when Leclerc signed his new contract in January 2024 suggested one exit clause in the Monegasque’s terms offers him the ability to terminate the deal in 2026 if the 27-year-old does not feel their performances are up to scratch. Yet it would cost him £47m to do it.
So, the more likely way that Bearman gets a promotion to Ferrari is that the Scuderia and/or Hamilton decide against triggering his contract extension for 2027 or agreeing to new terms. But the 19-year-old must show he deserves to race for the Scuderia by delivering with Haas.
