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Oliver Bearman should seek clarity from Lewis Hamilton over the seven-time world champion's career timeline before committing to any move away from the Ferrari programme, according to former driver Karun Chandhok. The Haas driver, still contracted to Ferrari as a junior, is reportedly on Red Bull's radar, but Chandhok believes the 20-year-old's path to a Scuderia race seat may be clearer than it appears.
Bearman made his Formula 1 debut for Ferrari in Jeddah last season, stepping in for Carlos Sainz at short notice after the Spaniard underwent an emergency appendectomy. Since joining Haas on a full-time basis in 2024, the Briton has continued to impress, solidifying his reputation as one of the paddock's most promising young talents. Ferrari retained him as a reserve driver, positioning him as a credible successor to Hamilton once the 41-year-old decides to retire.
Red Bull interest and the Ferrari dilemma
English-language speculation has linked Bearman with a potential Red Bull opportunity, raising the question of whether he should abandon his Ferrari affiliation for immediate race mileage alongside Max Verstappen. Chandhok, speaking to Sky Sports, framed the decision as a calculated risk. "If there's a race seat available at Red Bull Racing, Ollie and his management obviously have to talk about it," he said. "But the reality is that he's the man standing by for the day Lewis Hamilton decides to stop. Lewis is in top form this season, so he might not stop immediately. But there will come a moment when Lewis simply stops."
Chandhok suggested Bearman has already secured pole position in the succession race at Ferrari. "Ollie has put himself firmly in an excellent position to get that seat. So that's the sacrifice he'll have to make. Am I willing to give up my spot as reserve, in case Lewis decides to stop, instead of taking the race seat at Red Bull?"
The Verstappen factor and familiarity with Ferrari
Red Bull would present an entirely different challenge. Bearman has minimal experience competing at the front, and a seat alongside Verstappen or his successor would expose him to the sport's most intense internal benchmark. "It's not an easy decision, because what does that mean in terms of: 'Am I going to go up against Max? Am I going to go up against Isack?' It's a completely new world that he doesn't really know," Chandhok said. "Ferrari, he knows it and he's loved there."
Chandhok's advice was direct. "He should, in a sense, go and have a chat with Lewis and say, 'By the way, what are you doing? How long are you staying here?'" Hamilton turned 41 in January and is the oldest driver on the grid. Bearman, by contrast, is 20 and has time on his side. Ferrari has historically shown patience with its junior pipeline when a credible succession plan exists. If Hamilton confirms he intends to race beyond 2026, Bearman's calculus shifts. If retirement is closer than expected, waiting may be the smarter play.
Career stakes and the cost of impatience
Bearman's situation is not uncommon in modern F1, where junior drivers are forced to weigh immediate opportunity against long-term fit. Red Bull has a history of promoting young talent quickly, but also cycling through drivers who fail to match Verstappen's pace. Ferrari, meanwhile, has shown it will move decisively when the right moment arrives, as it did in signing Hamilton himself. Bearman's challenge is timing. A premature move could close the Ferrari door permanently. Waiting too long risks losing Red Bull's interest. The conversation Chandhok proposes may be the only way to resolve that tension with anything resembling certainty.
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