Fred Vasseur has been a mastermind for Ferrari. The team has significantly improved performance since he took over as team principal. But nothing tops his strategic move to bring Lewis Hamilton to Maranello in 2025. Vasseur acquiring the greatest driver of the generation will be hailed as F1’s biggest transfer, ensuring his name is etched in Ferrari and F1’s Hall of Fame. But that’s not all, the 56-year-old is working relentlessly to make sure Ferrari wins titles ASAP.

Meanwhile, Fred Vasseur is striving for foresight. This is important for the future of Ferrari, as the team won’t stall after Lewis Hamilton‘s retirement. And according to F1 content creator, Cameron, Fred has already marked his ‘Chosen One’. Adding to the speculation, Cameron hints at Ferrari’s backup plan involving young talent Ollie Bearman, should the need arise to replace their star driver suddenly.

Fred Vasseur has picked his “Next Lewis Hamilton” to take over when the need calls for it

On his YouTube channel, Cameron F1, Cameron speculated about an alleged Plan B that Ferrari might be having. “I think Plan B is always going to be Ollie Bearman man right? If Lewis all of a sudden gets old overnight which again I can’t imagine he does,” Cam mentioned. Implying that F2 driver, Oliver Bearman could fit in Lewis Hamilton’s shoes at Ferrari when he retires. Ferrari might be considering Ollie after Hamilton for the future. The young Briton has proved his prowess for Ferrari in Jeddah this year. He filled in for Carlos Sainz who was out due to appendicitis. Now, Ferrari considers Bearman as their equivalent to Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli!

Cam further noted: “They’ve [Vasseur and Co.] put Ollie Bearman, again it’s not been announced officially but it will be imminently. They’ll put Ollie Bearman in the Haas seat alongside Esteban Ocon.” The relation between Ferrari and Haas is that the latter relies on Ferrari’s power unit and significant component supplies. This implies that keeping Ollie in an ‘associate’ team would help with observing the driver.

Moreover, it will give him a considerable amount of experience before moving into the main team [Ferrari] when the seven-time World Champion retires or leaves before time. But one important factor that Fred Vasseur must keep in mind is the sponsors and investments Hamilton will be bringing with him to Maranello. This might play a very important role in keeping him in the squad for a longer period.

$500 Million investments in Ferrari for Lewis Hamilton’s prolonged and influential stay in the team

“The bigger scheme of thinking from Ferrari’s perspective is that they want to be a luxury brand and the symbiosis of the brand Hamilton and brand Scuderia Ferrari is like is blockbuster for all concerns not just Ferrari but F1,” explained Cam. Imagine Lewis Hamilton walking into the paddock in an all-red suit! Besides, Ferrari’s recent title sponsorship deal with Hewlett-Packard (HP) is rumored to be highly valuable. Somewhere around $500 million broken down into five years of $100 million each!

But the biggest coincidence in this is Hamilton’s salary being the same $100 million at Ferrari. So the question arises, is HP’s sponsorship for Ferrari the ‘Lewis Hamilton Effect’? Even if it is, both parties are going to benefit from this. It all comes down to mutual profits, isn’t it? While Lewis Hamilton’s influence on Ferrari’s sponsorship decisions is uncertain, integrating HP’s resources has greatly enhanced Ferrari’s engineering capabilities.

With the 2026 regulations approaching, Ferrari’s focus on talent development and technology marks an exciting chapter in their F1 legacy. Fred Vasseur and Co.’s efforts to develop new talent and form innovative partnerships show their commitment to remaining at the top of motorsport. What do you make of Hamilton’s shift to Ferrari? Share your thoughts in the comments.