Who could replace "useless" Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari? Best options as seven-time champion suggests driver swap
Lewis Hamilton’s comments after qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix seem to indicate a veteran driver at the end of his tether.
The seven-time world champion will start today’s (August 3) race from 12th, after struggling to get to grips with his Ferrari around the tight bends of the Hungaroring.
Meanwhile, teammate Charles Leclerc is on pole, beating the McLarens that had been so dominant in practice and qualifying.
Speaking in the media pen after Saturday’s qualifying session, the Briton bemoaned his lack of pace - and even suggested that Ferrari should look at a “driver change”.
He said: “It's me every time. I’m useless, absolutely useless.
“Team's not the problem, can see the other car on pole. Team probably needs to change driver.”
The 40-year-old has struggled in qualifying over the past couple of years, his one-lap pace seeming to dwindle with age. But his race craft is still among the best in the business, as evidenced by his masterful climb from 16th to seventh at Spa last weekend.
But his downbeat attitude suggests that he might now see himself in the twilight of his career - and if he doesn’t announce a surprise retirement at the end of this season, it perhaps isn’t too far away.
Should Hamilton leave Ferrari in the near future, who could, or should, take his seat at Maranello? There are a handful of options, and we’ve picked out the best ones.
George Russell (Mercedes)
Compatriot and former Mercedes teammate George Russell does not have his future set in stone.
Despite being one of the most consistent drivers in F1 this season, his seat is under threat from four-time champion Max Verstappen, who has been courting the German team for a potential move (although says he will race for Red Bull again next season).
If Verstappen forces Russell out of Mercedes - either for 2026 or 2027 - replacing Hamilton at Ferrari could be his best bet, especially if Red Bull do capitulate without the Dutch phenom.
Isaac Hadjar (Racing Bulls)
Speaking of the Red Bull programme, a driver who has been coy about joining the senior team is rookie Isaac Hadjar.
Red Bull has a habit of promoting drivers too soon, giving them a baptism by fire before casting them out for poor performances. See Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda as recent examples - all of whom have been put through the Red Bull blender in the past five years.
When asked about moving up from Racing Bulls, Hadjar has insisted that the time is not right for him yet. But rather than putting himself into Helmut Marko’s purgatory, his performances have impressed enough that a move to Ferrari could become an option, if Hamilton decides to leave.
Ollie Bearman (Haas)
Of all the options available to Ferrari post-Hamilton, this one appears to make the most sense.
Youngster Ollie Bearman announced himself on the F1 world stage last season, stepping in for Carlos Sainz at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix - and scoring points on his debut.
Now at Haas, the projected career path for the Ferrari Academy star has always been to spend a couple of seasons learning the ropes, before moving to the Scuderia as their next big superstar.
Ex-Haas team boss Gunther Steiner has said on his ongoing live tour that “everything is going as we planned” for Bearman, with the 20-year-old still in pole position to be Hamilton’s heir-apparent at Ferrari.
Leonardo Fornaroli (Invicta)
Leo Fornaroli is not yet an F1 driver, instead racing in Formula 2 for Invicta. But at the time of publication, he is battling for the world championship title, 17 points ahead of Jack Crawford with one race remaining.
F2 champions “graduate” from the series after taking the title, and cannot compete in the category ever again. Should Hamilton retire at the end of this season, the 20-year-old Italian will be searching for a drive, and the idea of an Italian driving for the team might be too tempting of a proposition for the higher-ups to turn down.
It would be a huge gamble - but the likes of Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Hadjar and Gabriel Bortoletto have proven this season that sometimes, looking to the junior categories can unearth a tremendously talented racer.
An outside shout? Maybe.
A fairytale come true? Absolutely.