Photo: RacePictures.

Vasseur confirms Hamilton's potential Ferrari heir will get F1 2026 promotion

20:02, 03 Dec

Updated: 20:11, 03 Dec

byNorberto Mujica

Lewis Hamilton is on the verge of completing the worst campaign of his 18-year long Formula One career.

“We have also Rafael who is doing a very good job in F3, he won the championship. He's promoted in F2 now, he will be part of the team next year."

- Frederic Vasseur.

Ferrari Academy driver will have a role in the F1 team in 2026. Photo: Race Pictures

And on the verge of turning 41 in January, the inevitable situation of preparing for his retirement needs to be addressed.

In Qatar, Ferrari’s team principal Frederic Vasseur was asked about F3 and F2 champion Leonardo Fornaroli’s chances to reach F1 without a team backing him - which McLaren made a moot point of by signing him into their young driver’s programme.

“Probably, yes,” the Frenchman told GPblog before turning his attention to emerging Ferrari in-house talent, the Brazilian Rafael Camara who became world champion in his debut F3 season this year, and who is currently being groomed by Ferrari targeting a Formula One debut.

“We have also Rafael who is doing a very good job in F3, he won the championship,” he added. “He's promoted in F2 now, he will be part of the team next year.

“He will do some [F]P1, probably that if he's doing well as we did with the other one, but at least he will do some TPC,” concluded Vasseur before claiming that it made “no sense” for Ferrari to have a large number of young talents of the same generation.

Hamilton has one last shot to avoid seeing out his first podium-less Formula One season this weekend in Abu Dhabi.

Hamilton skips FP1 in Abu Dhabi

Ferrari has confirmed the seven-time world champion will not drive in FP1 at the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, with teammate Charles Leclerc's brother Arthur Leclerc taking over Hamilton's car as part of the rookie FP1 requirement. Read the full story here.

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