Bearman plays down Red Bull talk, targets Ferrari

Oliver Bearman has dismissed speculation linking him to Red Bull, saying ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix that the talk is "just rumours" and that he still hopes his long-term future lies with Ferrari, even though he has no contract for next season.

The 21-year-old Haas driver was drawn into the conversation after Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft said during the British Grand Prix weekend that Red Bull was keeping tabs on him as a possible option if Max Verstappen were to leave. Laurent Mekies' past connection with Bearman from the Ferrari driver programme has also been cited as part of that link.

Bearman said the attention itself was hard to ignore, but he stopped well short of giving the idea any substance. "It's quite flattering to hear things like that, with a team like Red Bull who are incredibly successful, and to be connected with them in any way, even if it's just rumours, is very nice," he said. "But, as I said, it's just rumours, and I'm fully focused on what I'm doing here with Haas at the moment."

That focus on Haas sits alongside a much less settled picture over what comes next. Asked whether Ferrari had given him any clarity, Bearman said: "No. At the moment, I don't have a contract for next year, so just waiting in the dark." He also pushed back on the idea that he had declared himself fully free to choose another team.

Even so, he made clear that Ferrari remains the destination he wants. Bearman said he hopes his future is with the Scuderia, adding that Ferrari backed him from the beginning of his Formula 3 career and "are really the reason that I'm here right now." He said his immediate task is simpler than the surrounding noise suggests: keep delivering with Haas, because "the faster I can go now, the easier I make my life in the future."

That leaves Bearman in an unusual position in the market. He is being mentioned as a possible Red Bull option, but his own preference still points toward Ferrari, where the route is not open at present. With Charles Leclerc on a long-term deal and Lewis Hamilton still competitive, and in some reports expected to continue into 2027, Bearman's clearest route remains performing strongly at Haas while he waits for the Ferrari picture to change.