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Lewis Hamilton’s future at Ferrari suddenly looks uncertain. With his contract running only through the end of 2026, ESPN claims that Ferrari is not planning to extend the seven-time champion’s deal beyond that point.Hamilton arrived at Maranello expecting a long-term project. The veteran driver signed a two-year deal reportedly worth around $87 million, replacing Carlos Sainz alongside Charles Leclerc. Ferrari finished 14 points behind McLaren in the 2024 Constructors’ title, and the Briton's experience was expected to bridge that gap.But so far, he has failed to find results. Hamilton has no podiums after 20 Grands Prix, in what has been the most difficult season of his career. Ferrari’s board is weighing whether to commit long-term, as the team and driver struggle to find a compatible working relationship. According to ESPN:“several senior paddock figures have suggested... that the seven-time world champion will not be offered another contract when his expires at the end of 2026 given his performances. That seems a premature prediction, but what is clear is that something has not clicked between the British driver and Italian team this year.”Charles Leclerc has carried the team’s results this year, contributing all seven of Ferrari’s podiums and 210 points to Hamilton’s 146. Those numbers, combined with concerns inside the garage about communication and direction, have fuelled the reports that Ferrari may look elsewhere when contracts are reopened for 2027.Lewis Hamilton of Scuderia Ferrari at Silverstone. Source: Getty2026 is also a major regulation change year for engines and chassis. Teams and drivers expect a volatile transition, and fortunes can flip quickly. That is central to any decision Ferrari makes, and a strong showing under the new rules would alter the narrative, and Lewis Hamilton himself is on record expecting the regulation reset to be decisive for his career.For now, however, the paddock consensus shows that Ferrari is not prepared to guarantee Lewis Hamilton a seat beyond 2026 unless he shows clear progress. Additionally, while he remains one of the most successful drivers in history, he will be 42 in 2027, and no driver has won a Grand Prix at that age in over 50 years.Is Oliver Bearman Lewis Hamilton's replacement for Ferrari?(L-R) Oliver Bearman, Lewis Hamilton, and Charles Leclerc in the 2024 Saudi Arabia GP. Source: GettyOliver Bearman’s rise adds a sharp angle to the conversation. The 20-year-old Ferrari academy graduate produced one of the breakout drives of the year in Mexico City. Starting ninth, Bearman jumped to sixth on lap one, executed a double overtake on Max Verstappen and George Russell on lap six, and ran second briefly. He ultimately finished fourth, matching Haas’s best result.Ferrari's team principal, Fred Vasseur, publicly praised Bearman after the race, with the team’s senior figures now viewing him as close to being F1-ready in an even bigger seat. Crucially for the Prancing Horse, Bearman is contractually tied to Haas through 2026, which matches the expiry window on Lewis Hamilton’s deal.The ESPN report explicitly cites Bearman as the internal option Ferrari could promote if the Scuderia finds a longer-term renewal for Hamilton is not in the team’s best interests. Vasseur, who recently extended his own Ferrari contract, has publicly stood by Hamilton.“I don’t know if we underestimated the importance of the change,” Vasseur admitted earlier this year (via F1). “he spent 10 years at McLaren, then 12 with Mercedes, but it was a kind of continuity - two teams based in the UK with the same engine, same environment. (Ferrari) is a complete change for him, in his life, the culture of the team and everything. To do it in three test days in the winter period is quite difficult.”The Frenchman added: “It’s up to us to support him when he is struggling, and we also need to push him when he’s struggling... I’m really convinced that he will do it.”Hamilton’s passion for Ferrari was clear from the start. The move was seen as a homecoming of sorts, fulfilling a boyhood dream to race for the Scuderia. But as F1 pundit Ralf Schumacher observed recently, that dream might end sooner than expected if the results don’t improve.If Ferrari’s patience wears thin and Bearman continues to rise, the most decorated driver in F1 history may find himself facing an unfamiliar question in 2027.
