Prost offers caution to Hamilton ahead of 2025 Ferrari switch

Alain Prost has cautioned Lewis Hamilton over the cultural and working differences that await at Ferrari after his switch from Mercedes.

Hamilton will leave Mercedes after 12 seasons in time for 2025, when he will join Ferrari to partner Charles Leclerc.

Prost, who himself raced for Ferrari in 1990 and 1991 after leaving a British-based team, in McLaren, believes the "different pressure" of the two environments could prove a problem at first for the seven-time world champion.

"The relation with Charles, you know, the ambience at Ferrari is also [important]," the four-time champion told Sports Illustrated.

"[He has had] such a long period with an English team, Mercedes, with a way of working and then you go to an Italian team, especially with the different pressure, different way of thinking, he is under pressure from the media. I think it's not that easy.”

Finding motivation

Prost also touched on Hamilton's motivation levels, having not won a race since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and is currently enduring his worst start to a season in his career with jiust 10 points from four races.

“I can understand his decision because obviously when you are in a team like Mercedes, when they did not win a race for two years and they are really struggling to go back to the front, and at his age he has said,:‘Okay, why not try something different," the 51-time grand prix winner added.

“I mean, I’m not sure if he had the possibility to go to Red Bull, but not with Max for sure. So that's not possible. Then you can go to Ferrari, especially with the regulation change in ‘26. Then you only have one year, ‘25, that way you can [settle into the team].

“After ‘26, he will be 42, I think, maybe even 43 so it's going to be another story. But I can understand if you don't want to stop racing.

"The question is, is it a good move? Is it going to be a good choice? Also, for Ferrari, you could ask the question.

“It’s good for the sport because everybody's going to watch. You could have an idea, but the idea or the perception you could have today is going to be different next year at the same stage, because he will be one year older and will he find his motivation back being at Ferrari?

“It is possible because if it's for a short time, maybe only one year, if Ferrari is going well, I think he could find the motivation back."