Ralf Schumacher told Sky Deutschland’s Backstage Boxengasse podcast that Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso should consider retiring “to give young people a chance” and urged Ferrari to promote Oliver Bearman. Schumacher framed the remarks as opinion intended to spark discussion about veteran drivers making way for younger talent and possible mid-season or end-of-season moves. Bearman, a four-year member of Ferrari’s driver academy who impressed during a loan at Haas, could already challenge, or even be better than, Charles Leclerc and, in Schumacher’s view, might offer more to the team than Hamilton.

Former engineer Aldo Costa said Hamilton’s bid for an eighth world title now looked unlikely, arguing drivers tend to decline at 41 and calling Leclerc an “extremely strong” teammate. Hamilton, 41, is in his second season at Ferrari after leaving Mercedes at the end of 2024 and earned his first Ferrari podium with a third-place finish in Shanghai earlier this season. He was outpaced by Leclerc in Australia, Japan and Miami and had won only one head-to-head with Leclerc so far this season; his Miami result ahead of Leclerc came only after Leclerc received a post-race 20-second penalty. After four rounds Hamilton trailed championship leader Kimi Antonelli by 49 points and sat eight points behind Leclerc. Leclerc has seven podiums and one pole this season.

Fernando Alonso will turn 45 in July, recently became a father and is out of contract with Aston Martin at the end of the season; he has said he will decide “sometime in the summer” whether to extend his contract or race elsewhere. Separate reports also noted Alonso had publicly called for Hamilton to consider retirement. The combination of veteran contract uncertainty, public calls for retirement and suggestions to promote young drivers such as Bearman has kept succession planning at Ferrari and the wider generational shift in Formula 1 in the spotlight.