Ollie Bearman will not set a deadline for ‘ultimate target’ of Ferrari deal

Ollie Bearman is not putting a timeline on his Ferrari dream but the rising British star believes he is ready should the call come.

The 21-year-old has again started the season strongly for the ever-impressive Haas team, racking up 18 points from the first five races including a fifth-placed finish in China.

It is just his second full season in Formula One, having made his debut as a last-minute replacement for Carlos Sainz at Ferrari in the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Bearman put the F1 world on notice that weekend, securing seventh on debut. The youngster from Essex is part of the Ferrari driver academy and remains contracted to the Italian giants.

Speculation linking Bearman with replacing seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton at the Scuderia is relentless.

The 41-year-old vowed to remain in the sport for a long time to come and told people to “get used to it” in Montreal last weekend, before finishing second to earn his best result for the team.

Bearman is prepared to be patient in pursuit of his ambition.

“There’s no dates that I need to be doing X, I don’t really care about that, I want to continue to become the best version of myself, give this team the best chance to fight and continue to enjoy it,” Bearman told the Press Association.

The middle of the season is where the driver market tends to heat up and it is expected to be a big one, with several drivers out of contract and continued questions over the future of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

Asked whether he needs clarity over his Ferrari future, with a host of top seats potentially becoming available, Bearman said: “For me of course I’m contracted to Ferrari, they’ve put trust in me since the very beginning, so it’s natural that my ultimate target is to