Bearman says finalizing Haas future is ‘out of my hands’

Oliver Bearman says the sticking points that are holding up his confirmation as a Haas driver for 2027 are out of his hands.

Haas confirmed Rafael Camara will drive for the team in 2027 last week, with the 21-year-old effectively replacing Esteban Ocon after it was announced the Frenchman would not be retained. While Camara is a Ferrari Driver Academy member who will join Haas, Bearman’s future has yet to be officially finalized, with Ferrari also involved in negotiations.

“On my side and I think on Ayao’s [Komatsu, team principal] side as well, if I’m not mistaken, I think we’re very sure that we want to continue working together,” Bearman said. “And the only sticking points are kind of out of my hands. More contractual points. It’s out of my hands. I’m leaving it to my management and, of course, Ferrari as well.

“Of course Ferrari are involved – at the end of the day I am a junior driver of Ferrari and that’s ultimately the reason I’m here, because of that. So of course they have a big say in what my future looks like.”

While Bearman insists contract length is not the main point to be agreed upon, he says he does want flexibility for his longer-term options in case an opportunity to race at another top team other than Ferrari opens up.

“I’m committed to Haas myself and the length of the deal is not really my remit. I’m happy to be in F1, but of course looking into the medium-long term, I also feel like I'm ready to fight for podiums and fight at the front,” he said.

“In terms of a midfield team, Haas is the team that I want to be with and I see my future with. But at some point as well, I feel like I’ve earned the opportunity to go out and look for a top-four team. And of course, with my link with Ferrari, that would be my ultimate goal.

“But I’m not discussing the nitty-gritty. That’s what my short-term ambition is and my medium to long is to be fighting for podiums. I hope that Haas can give me that opportunity, but we’ll see.”

If an agreement to stay with Haas is reached, Bearman believes this year has proven he is capable of leading a team even at the age of 21.

“To be honest, I think I’ve shown that already,” he said. “I think this year has been a big step for myself in terms of on-track performance, but more importantly, how I deal with the team, how I transition into that role of leading the team.

“I think I’ve seen a big step in how I deal with the team, but also how the team values my input and my feedback. So it’s definitely important to be cemented as the team leader by having more experience, but I also feel like it’s not that I’m not already working well towards that.

“I think this year has been a big step in that regard, and it’s normal coming from Formula 2 that it’s not an instant transition. It takes time, but I would say that I’ve really come a long way in that regard.”