A former Formula One official has suggested that Ferrari could replace Lewis Hamilton with a top driver amid the Brit's disappointing form.
With just three races left on the 2025 Formula One calendar, some fans have already started to look ahead to what promises to be a dramatic season next year.
The 2026 season will see the introduction of a new set of regulations that will bring about some of the biggest regulation changes in the sport's history, causing speculation over which drivers will be the first to drive under the new regulations.
As it stands, most of the seats for next year have already been confirmed, with Ferrari star Hamilton seemingly set to retain his spot despite his lacklustre performances throughout 2025.
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However, with doubts over Hamilton's future continuing to grow, former F1 chief Richard Hopkins has revealed the surprise name that Ferrari should bring in to replace the Brit if he were to be sacked.
So far this season, Hamilton appears set to finish the current campaign without a podium, with his best finish being P4 at the Austrian Grand Prix, the British Grand Prix, and the US Grand Prix.
And Hopkins, who worked as Head of Operations at Red Bull and was previously logistics manager at McLaren, has argued that if he is to be dismissed, McLaren star Oscar Piastri would be the perfect replacement.
Speaking to SPORTbible, in association with Ignition Casino, Hopkins said: "If you're looking along the current grid, if Oscar falls out with McLaren, could Oscar be a really good choice? Probably could."
Following his fierce battle with McLaren teammate Lando Norris, it has been reported that Piastri is reconsidering his future with the Woking-based team.
Some reports have suggested that the Australian could consider taking the second seat at Red Bull, but Hopkins thinks that Ferrari would be a better fit.
"Would Oscar go to Red Bull? I don't think so," Hopkins added.
"I think anybody who steps into that second seat at Red Bull, it's a poison chalice, so I don't think any of the frontrunners would.
"I think it’ll always be a young guy, whether it be Hadjar or somebody like that. That seems to be the favoured choice. I think an Oscar could be a good choice. I think they'd be foolish to put a young gun in."
However, Piastri isn't the only driver on the grid that Hopkins has suggested could be a suitable replacement for Hamilton, as he also tipped Haas rookie Ollie Bearman as a potential option should Piastri make himself unavailable.
"Bearman could be a good choice, maybe. He's got a relationship with Ferrari," Hopkins claimed.
"Bearman seems to be having an amazing second half of the season, certainly out qualifying his teammate Ocon. He lacks a little bit of consistency, but he's a young kid, lacks a bit of experience, and maybe a little bit of maturity.
"But he's showing all the signs that when he actually puts it all together, he's very quick, and if he can put it together across a whole race weekend and comes up with a great result, fourth place for Haas at the moment is really special.
"It’s not taking the big gamble of taking a junior driver from their academy. It's somebody with a little bit of experience in Bearman. It won’t be his first time in a Formula 1 car, but he’s still young and impressionable and mouldable to the Ferrari way of doing things."
Despite this, Hopkins reiterated that he believes Ferrari would be wise to stick to their guns and keep Hamilton as Charles Leclerc's teammate for the 2026 season, and beyond if he impressed under the new regulations.
Topics: Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Oscar Piastri, Motorsport, Formula 1
Ben McCrum