According to Auto Motor und Sport, Hamilton will be given one last chance with Ferrari throughout the 2026 season. And if he underwhelms again, Bearman will take his place.

So Hamilton could well be feeling the pressure at Maranello, with the 2026 campaign due to get underway at the Australian Grand Prix in early March.

Bearman racked up 41 points with Haas in 2025 and secured a fourth-place finish at the Mexican Grand Prix.

And after being asked whether he had spoken to Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur about his future with the Scuderia, the 20-year-old Briton explained: “I mean, we catch up from time to time, and talking about challenges that I’m facing in my season of F1.

“Just an open dialogue really. I like to make it clear what’s going on my side, because it’s easy to see just the result on paper. But that doesn’t always tell the full story. There’s often a lot more to it.

“But regarding my future, no conversation. I just drive the car. I think the rest will sort itself out if I perform at a good level.”

And after being asked if he had been given any feedback about his displays for Haas, Bearman added: “No positive or negative feedback. I mean, it’s like I said, it’s an open discussion. We talk about what challenges I face.

“Also the future, you know, the next regulations are important. I have the same engine as what they will have.

“So, no. There’s been moments where they wanted me to improve on certain aspects. But for me, it was always going to be the case that I improve in these aspects, because my experience level is going up, and I naturally get better at the time, and so it’s a fact of life.”

Bearman signed a multi-year contract when he joined Haas, which means he will remain with the American team for at least one more season. He may then believe he has what it takes to secure a seat with Ferrari after joining the Scuderia’s driver academy in November 2021.