Ferrari protege looking forward to working with 7x world champion Lewis Hamilton

Haas F1 driver Oliver Bearman says he is looking forward to working with Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari next year. The 18-year-old is a junior driver on the Italian team and signed his first contract with its customer team this year for 2025.

Hamilton had earlier shocked the world of motorsport this year after he announced that he would be leaving the Mercedes F1 team at the end of the 2024 season after 12 successful seasons with the German team to join Ferrari on a multi-year deal.

Speaking with Sky Sports, Bearman was confident that Ferrari would benefit from having seven-time world champion Hamilton in Maranello. He said:

“I think he'll bring a lot of experience to the team. He's won seven world championships – that's something that not many people can say. He'll bring a good mentality to the team, a winning mentality. But of course, his talent is undeniable.

"He's one of the best to have ever done it. It's great that in some way he can share his experience with me slightly. I hope that I will learn a lot from him and I hope that Ferrari will as well because I think he will be a great asset to the team.”

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Ferrari Chairman gives his take on Lewis Hamilton joining the Italian team in 2025

Ferrari Chairman John Elkann stated that Lewis Hamilton would be joining the Italian team to win his eighth world championship and push the team for their first title since 2008.

Speaking with Corriere dello Sport, the Italian-American said:

“Certain things happen very quickly. This was the moment when he and Ferrari found each other. He wants to win the eighth title, Ferrari wants to win and with Lewis, it is stronger. He doesn't come to Ferrari to enjoy his retirement and it's important to have motivated people around him, who want to win.”

Elkann also added that the 39-year-old would bring his wealth of experience to the Maranello-based outfit in 2025:

“In Formula 1 there is now real competition, with 4 teams very close: Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes. It is important to always go to the maximum potential: those who have more experience have more regularity as Hamilton and even Alonso himself demonstrate. And regularity counts.”

After a strong start to the season, Ferrari has seen a drop in performance levels from its cars and thus slipped down the order. The team is currently P3 in the constructor's championship with 345 points.

Lewis Hamilton meanwhile is experiencing an uptick in form following Mercedes' introduction of an upgrade package during the Spanish GP. Hamilton won two of the last three races before the ongoing summer break.