Former Haas Formula 1 boss Guenther Steiner believes that Oliver Bearman is the “obvious candidate” to replace Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari in 2027.
Bearman concluded his rookie campaign 13th in the standings with 41 points, three points more than experienced Haas team-mate Esteban Ocon.
Bearman’s season was not flawless, though, as mistakes and penalty points stunted his progress. However, Steiner observed a clear turning point.
“I mean this year starting off being fast but making mistakes, but second half of the season he got rid of them, and it’s just like a switch,” Steiner said on The Red Flags Podcast.
Steiner felt Bearman initially pushed too hard in machinery that did not always allow it.
“In the first half of the season, I thought he’s taking too much risk with the car he had, and therefore he had a few offs, and it wasn’t good, got a lot of penalty points.”
That approach changed as the season developed. The errors faded, while the speed remained.
“He still kept on collecting them in the second half of the season, but he didn’t make mistakes anymore, even in the race, fighting hard,” he added.
Bearman’s progress peaked with a fourth-place finish in Mexico, a result that underlined his growing control and confidence.
The 20-year-old has already been linked with a future Ferrari seat, potentially opening in 2027. Steiner believes Bearman fits that picture.
“We all know that he can overtake and as you said, I think for him the door should be open to Ferrari for ’27, because if Lewis hasn’t got the success he needs to have, I don’t think that he continues and then there is the obvious candidate there for Ferrari,” he explained.
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