Ollie Bearman’s Haas Contract Delay Tied to Ferrari 2028 Demands, Assuming Hamilton Retires, Insiders Claim

With the conclusion of the 2026 season fast approaching, the Haas F1 team seems to have entered a turbulent phase, with chaos being the theme around its driver lineup. Having replaced Esteban Ocon overnight for the Mexico City GP, the team now faces questions regarding the future of Ollie Bearman, and it looks like the Lewis Hamilton situation is acting as a blocker.

For many, the delay is a result of continuously unsuccessful negotiations, but Motorsport.com has reported that there might be a far more complex reason behind it. Per their report, Bearman’s representatives have been pressing Ferrari for guarantees for a pathway to the team in 2028.

The representatives are functioning under the assumption that Hamilton will be retiring after the 2027 season, vacating his Ferrari seat. And with Rafael Camara’s promotion to Haas in 2027, who is another promising Ferrari junior, Bearman now has a direct rival for the seat.

Therefore, a longer waiting time is no longer feasible for Bearman, given that it also allows time for Camara to gain experience.

Meanwhile, team principal Ayao Komatsu has made it clear that he doesn’t like to go into the details of driver contracts. While he believes Bearman has shown incredible potential and wants to grow together, he has made it clear that the absurd speculations that have surrounded the situation have not gone down well with him.

Ayao Komatsu Blasts Ollie Bearman Financial Speculations

According to recent reports, including the one by Motorsport.com, an amateur F1 blogger who claims to have insider information on F1 business matters is the source of all the confusion. The claim has since been amplified by fact-checking websites and social media, passing it off as fact rather than speculation.

Naturally, Komatsu has grown irritated with the rumors, and was far from happy when asked about the same during Friday’s FIA press conference in Mexico City.

“Can you explain? Do you understand where that’s coming from? No? Exactly. Me neither,” said an irritated Komatsu. He added that he has no idea where such rumors are coming from, and while people say that there’s no smoke without a fire, Komatsu is of the opinion that some people love making a story up.

Per the rumor, Bearman is asking for a contract close to $7 million (€ 6 million) a year, and Haas has no interest in paying that amount. But with Komatsu denying the speculation, it seems like a situation similar to the one with Ocon.

Haas and Esteban Ocon Deny Any Physical Confrontations

Speaking further, Komatsu explained the situation involving Ocon, where rumors claimed that the Japanese team principal had been a part of a physical altercation with the French driver. While Komatsu took full responsibility for letting the Frenchman go, he denied all rumors that the exchange had turned violent.

Speaking in Mexico City, he detailed that there were reports that “apparently I had an argument with Esteban Ocon. That’s absolutely false.” He then took a dig at the people who claim to have insider information as being total nonsense.

Even Ocon went on to reject any rumors of a physical exchange before being dropped from the Mexico race. He acknowledged that a difference of viewpoints led to a discussion among all parties involved. While the French driver had an issue with his race engineer about the team’s tire choice in FP2 in Mexico, it never led to a physical exchange.

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