“No Longer Justify That!” Ralf Schumacher Urges Ferrari to Sack Lewis Hamilton for Oliver Bearman

Lewis Hamilton has endured a difficult debut year with Ferrari. The Briton believes that he had no input on SF-25 and hence has been facing extreme struggles. Hamilton is confident that he will bounce back in the coming season and start performing much better. Amid the 40-year-old’s trying times, Ralf Schumacher makes a shocking claim of sacking the seven-time champion for the rookie Oliver Bearman next year.

Oliver Bearman was one of the few rookie drivers who impressed the F1 grid in their debut. The youngster achieved a P6 finish in his very first race with Ferrari after subbing in for sick Carlos Sainz back then. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton‘s performance has been insignificant at Ferrari as he hasn’t even achieved a podium finish in his first 21 outings with the team. Even the team’s chairman, John Elkann, issued a warning to the drivers to talk less and perform well in the coming races.

Ralf Schumacher got real on Lewis Hamilton’s performances this year and how it was simply ‘not okay’. Then, he shed attention on Oliver Bearman, whose contract costs only a fraction of what Hamilton currently costs Ferrari and was doing wonders with the Haas F1 team. Schumacher raised uncertainty on the worth of the veteran’s F1 contract, but it definitely did not give great returns in terms of performance this year.

Besides the fact that he makes a lot of mistakes, his speed is just okay, but not better, And then I see a young Bearman working wonders with the Haas. He costs only a fraction of what Hamilton earns. I don’t know exactly how much, but people are talking high double digits, well over 60 million a year.

Ralf Schumacher said on the Backstage Boxengasse podcast.

Ralf Schumacher boldly claimed that Ferrari chairman John Elkann could definitely not justify the price he was paying for having Lewis Hamilton in the squad. However, Hamilton has notably helped the Italian squad post significant financial benefits in the 2025 season solely because he joined the team. The German recalled that it was Elkann who, in the first place, went above and beyond for the 40-year-old’s contract decisions.

I believe Elkann can no longer justify that. It was his decision to go beyond the contract that was in place.

Ralf Schumacher added.

Ralf Schumacher claims Oliver Bearman will ‘drive the brand forward’ compared to Lewis Hamilton

Oliver Bearman is just at the beginning of his career and is doing wonders with the Haas F1 team. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton hasn’t done anything for the team in terms of results on track. For now, Ralf Schumacher firmly believes it is more profitable to invest in Bearman in the long run. Though if the 40-year-old decides to retire in the coming couple of years, the youngster is definitely one of the strong contenders for the empty seat then.

Ralf Schumacher guessed that the people inside Ferrari would be considering spending their money elsewhere and not massively on Lewis Hamilton. Rather, the team could decide to bring in a young, fresh driver in Oliver Bearman.

One who can drive the brand forward, especially with the upcoming future regulations. Despite Hamilton being among the greats in Formula 1, he faces a massive challenge in adapting to the ever-changing regulations.

He did get a little closer, but we’d rather spend the money differently’. We’d rather bring in Bearman: a young, fresh driver who drives the brand forward and who we can build something with toward the regulations of the future. That could happen, of course. I’m curious, it’s exciting.

Ralf Schumacher noted.

Ferrari will have to invest heavily in their car and development for the coming season if they want to emerge as a dominant force from the get-go. For now, the team will definitely rethink their decisions regarding Lewis Hamilton and his potential replacement. Maranello risks bigger consequences if it simply lets go of one of its most influential drivers in the history of Formula 1.

Read More: Max Verstappen Makes Critical “We Lost the Championship” Admission Amidst 2025 Battle Against McLaren

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