In a surprising twist, Johnny Herbert, former F1 driver and FIA steward, has already pegged a successor to Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari—even before Hamilton has made his official debut with the Scuderia! Herbert sees British teenage sensation Oliver Bearman as the ideal candidate to fill the shoes of the seven-time world champion when the time comes.
Bearman, whose talents lit up the F1 paddock this season, first caught eyes when he made an impressive substitute appearance for Haas at the Saudi Arabian GP, finishing P7 after an emergency call-up due to a teammate’s surgery. His poised performance in Jeddah earned him further race outings and a full-time seat at Haas for next season, where he’ll partner with a Grand Prix winner and continue to hone his skills.
Herbert’s praise for Bearman surged after watching his skills at Brazil’s legendary Interlagos circuit—a notoriously tricky track where the teenager demonstrated remarkable adaptability, rocketing to the top of the timesheets in Friday practice. “For me, what he did in Brazil showed he has something special,” Herbert noted. “On a challenging circuit, in just two laps, he was on top of the board. That’s exciting for British motorsport fans and, potentially, for Ferrari down the line.”
“The Makings of a Ferrari Star?”
Bearman’s rise through the ranks this year is no fluke. The young driver’s experience in Brazil also marked his first encounter with F1’s wet weather demands, further expanding his skill set. Despite a chaotic race that saw him finish P12 after a 10-second penalty, Bearman took valuable lessons away. “Learning the track in such challenging conditions was great preparation,” Bearman reflected. “Every lap in the wet was an important experience.”
The 60-year-old Herbert is convinced Bearman’s skill set will only sharpen with time. His upcoming season at Haas provides the young Brit with the perfect platform to develop alongside a seasoned teammate, and Herbert sees this experience as a stepping stone to Ferrari’s legendary lineup.
“Ferrari’s Future in Focus Amid Constructor’s Championship Battle”
As Bearman’s future simmers with potential, Ferrari’s current focus remains on closing out an intense Constructor’s Championship battle with McLaren and Red Bull. With just a handful of races left in the season’s triple header, the stakes are high as Ferrari seeks to add another trophy to their storied history. But with Bearman on Herbert’s radar as a future Ferrari prospect, the Scuderia may already have a promising plan for their next era.
