Bearman predicts busy F1 market as 2027 looms

Oliver Bearman expects Formula 1's driver market to gather pace later this season as teams and drivers use the first year of the new rules to judge who is best placed for 2027.

Speaking to the Press Association, the Haas driver said the 2026 reset on both aerodynamics and power units has left the grid waiting for a clearer long-term pecking order before making major decisions. With a number of contracts due to expire at the end of the season, he believes the closing months of the year will be especially important.

"I think the end of this year is important because a lot of people are having their contracts ending," Bearman said. "Everyone wanted to see how the pecking order was in 2026 and that will then determine what 2027 looks like."

Bearman said a clearer hierarchy is starting to emerge after five rounds, even if upgrades later in the year could still change the picture. That uncertainty has made performance under the new regulations a central factor in where drivers see their best future opportunities.

The shifting market matters for Bearman too, given his long-standing ties to Ferrari, but he said he is not trying to force a move to Maranello on any fixed schedule while he continues at Haas.

"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 be with them," Bearman said. "At the moment the goal is to continue building with Haas, I'm super happy with the trajectory that we're on. So no timeline, no problems."

That leaves Bearman balancing a clear long-term Ferrari ambition with a more immediate focus on Haas, while the wider grid waits to see which teams truly emerge strongest from F1's 2026 rules reset before the next round of career decisions is made.