Ferrari Line Up Replacement Driver as Leclerc and Hamilton Uncertainty Revealed

Ferrari are reportedly lining up a replacement driver owing to the uncertainty over the future of both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.

Ferrari have endured a season to forget with both Leclerc and Hamilton struggling up against the likes of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

The McLaren pair lead the Drivers’ Championship with 357 and 356 points, respectively, following the Mexican Grand Prix last weekend.

Norris won in Mexico, a full 30 seconds ahead of Leclerc in second, while Hamilton could only finish in eighth, albeit following a time penalty, to compound what has been a difficult season for the seven-time champion.

However, it was the performance of Oliver Bearman in Mexico City that has caught the eye.

Bearman catching Ferrari's eye

Bearman managed a career-high fourth-placed finish in Mexico last weekend, finishing ahead of Piastri and just nine seconds behind defending champion Max Verstappen.

The 20-year-old was one of the most highly anticipated drivers heading into the 2025 season following notable substitute showings with Ferrari and Haas.

And by attaining 12 points in Mexico, Bearman moved ahead of Haas teammate Esteban Ocon in the Drivers’ standings having now accrued 32 points in this season.

“It's very special,” Bearman told Dutch broadcaster Viaplay (via ESPN) after the Mexican Grand Prix, which equalled Haas’ best result in nine years of competing in Formula 1.

And having seen his father and girlfriend hugging each other celebrate the finish, the Brit added: “You didn't need to show me her! Now I'm emotional.”

Oliver Bearman of Haas celebrates after the Mexican Grand Prix (Image: Getty)

Having gone wheel-to-wheel with Verstappen in Mexico, the 20-year-old added: “It's really cool to go relatively well with these people that I've been following since I started watching F1.

“I have them in my mirrors during the race, it was probably the most pressure that I had so far... It's cool and I didn't expect to be fighting with these top cars this year or this stage of my career, but it gives me a great feeling for the future and hopefully that can be a normal thing and not a one-off.”

And Ferrari have been keeping tabs on Bearman’s progress since his showing in Saudi Arabia as a stand in for Carlos Sainz last year.

'He made zero mistakes'

“At one stage, I was thinking about a podium for him,” Ferrari team boss Frédéric Vasseur said. “He did very well, but if you have a look from the beginning of the season, he's doing well.

“Quite often, he had a small issue in the weekend, either in quali or in the race. And this weekend, he put everything together. He made zero mistakes and he's paying off.”

It’s heightened speculation that Bearman could make the jump to Ferrari for the 2027 season owing to uncertainty over the futures of both Leclerc and Hamilton with the Italian team.

Hamilton in particular will hope to rediscover his best form next year when the new cars with 2026 regulations come into effect.

Leclerc’s manager Nicholas Todt, meanwhile, has hinted that the 28-year-old’s time at Ferrari could be numbered if next year’s car doesn’t live up to expectations.

However, both drivers may opt to look elsewhere at the end of the 2026 season, which paves the way for Bearman to potentially move across to Ferrari for the 2027 season.