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Haas Formula 1 team in 2025 confirmed that Uli Biermann is Ferrari’s biggest hope of producing another star for their team since Charles Leclerc.
Permane is considered one of the most promising talents to ever come out of the Ferrari Driver Academy.
He is seen as one of the most likely drivers to have a potential future as a Scuderia Ferrari driver, making him part of a rare group who were part of the scheme.
He stands there alongside Jules Bianchi, who was on a path that would take him to a Ferrari seat and then to Sauber the following season when his tragic accident occurred at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix.
Leclerc was long seen as a future Ferrari driver and was only promoted in his second season in Formula 2.
Berman is perhaps the third of the trio who is seen internally as the best candidate.
What’s different with BEARMAN?
Although Mick Schumacher and Antonio Giovinazzi reached Formula 1 while at Ferrari, neither of them ever lived up to the expectations within Ferrari.
Sergio Perez was a big interest but turned his back on Ferrari to join McLaren in 2013 when he could have secured a promotion in 2014 – although that was not a foregone conclusion.
Thus, it can be said that Permane is the third Ferrari rookie since the Academy was founded who has been seen as a potential future Scuderia driver, and his appointment as a replacement already shows how big the opportunity could be for him.
“I hope so,” Berman said of the possibility of following in LeClair’s footsteps.
“I mean, that would be the dream, right?
“I don’t think it’s really in my hands, but all I can do is give my best. That’s my goal anyway.
“Everything that comes after that is not really under my control.”
The question is when might that opportunity come? Barring the unexpected, the earliest that opportunity might come is 2027. Lewis Hamilton will be at Ferrari until at least the end of 2026, while Leclerc will be there for the long haul.
That’s a good timeline for Permane – who admitted it’s “hard not to think about it” but insisted it’s not! – meaning his first 18 months with Haas will be crucial in proving to Ferrari that he really has the potential. He may have to wait even longer than that as Hamilton could continue until 2027 and beyond.
The opportunity is in front of him
However, the time frame doesn’t matter. What matters is that Permane is making the most of the opportunity with Haas in order to make it as easy as possible for him to get the call when Ferrari has a seat available.
Ferrari will be watching him closely and expect him to progress rapidly on his learning curve. He will need to reach higher levels and achieve much greater consistency than Giovinazzi.
Giovinazzi was a highly respected driver at Ferrari, but he always needed to convince his employers that he had what it took to be a Formula 1 driver. While Giovinazzi’s status as Ferrari’s World Endurance Champion and a simulator driver is good, Permane can only aspire to more.
He has already proven his ability to handle extraordinary pressures on his trip to Jeddah. Now Berman must prove he can do so week after week.
Permane is fully aware of the opportunity that awaits him. The goal is clearly to achieve the best possible performance with Haas, but the long-term appeal of Ferrari is strong.
“Of course my long-term dream is still the same: I want to be successful in Formula 1, I want to win races and championships,” he said.
“With the support and loyalty that Ferrari has shown me, it is only natural that I want to do it with Ferrari. It is every boy’s dream.
“My first appearance with the team made it stronger of course.
“But at the same time, I’m also looking at this future in the short and medium term.
“In the short term I plan to finish Formula 2 and look forward to next year with Haas. I’m really excited about that as well.”
Ferrari’s stunning debut ‘made this possible’
Balancing these points is crucial. Berman cannot give up easily. To emulate Leclerc’s career, he must emulate the quality of Leclerc’s first season.
Permane faces a reality check in Formula 2 that has made him realise that nothing is settled. In fact, he believes that had it not been for his surprise replacement at Ferrari in Jeddah, Formula 2’s struggles would have been more decided in his favour – but instead it has strengthened his position and helped him gain confidence.
“I think the Saudi performance was the ‘stars aligned’ moment that made my step into Formula 1 possible because I think without that, it would have been really difficult, especially with the way things are going at the moment,” he said.
“So that really helped me.
“And also for my confidence, you never really know how you’re going to perform until you’re competing with real Formula 1 drivers. And that was my chance. And I feel like I did a good job.”
But as for 2025, Biermann says neither he nor Ferrari have made any predictions at the moment. That will be determined by who his teammate is and what kind of car they end up building. However, while Biermann’s assertion that nothing Ferrari sets for him could be harder than his own expectations, it also points to the mindset that has gotten him this far.
“I haven’t exceeded expectations yet. It’s a bit of a moving target, you have to see the result, it changes from year to year and even from race to race,” he said.
“I haven’t really thought about it yet. But my personal expectations, and what I want to achieve, is to improve from race to race, to feel like I’m maximising my performance and to see progress in myself and my abilities throughout the year.
“That would be my goal.”
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