Formula 1 may already have a name pointed out as the future successor to Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari. For Guenther Steiner, Oliver Bearman is ready to take the next step in his career and compete for wins in a top team.
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The former Haas boss, who closely followed the development of the British driver, believes the 21-year-old has already passed the learning phase at the American team. According to Steiner, Bearman now needs a car capable of fighting for podiums and victories.
“I think Oliver is ready to go to a team where he can win races or at least fight for podiums,” Steiner told Casino.org. “He is still very young and we cannot forget that. So, he will need patience.”
Bearman is having a solid start to the 2026 Formula 1 season with Haas. The Brit currently holds eighth position in the drivers’ championship, with 17 points earned after four rounds. Among the standout results are seventh place in Melbourne and fifth place at the Chinese GP, his best result since fourth place achieved in Mexico last year.
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The performance in Shanghai further increased the paddock’s confidence in the potential of the Ferrari Driver Academy driver. Besides speed, Bearman drew attention for the maturity shown in battles against front-grid teams.
Steiner also indicated that the contract between Bearman, Ferrari, and Haas should include clauses allowing an early exit if an opportunity arises at a bigger team. “He probably has clauses in the contract with Ferrari to leave Haas if he receives an offer from a top team, because that is the next step in his career,” he explained.
For the Italian executive, the young Brit has already shown enough talent to fight at the front, but Haas’s current competitiveness limits how much he can demonstrate within Formula 1.
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