Lewis Hamilton Under “Incredible Pressure” From Fred Vasseur & Co, Alain Prost Doubts He Can Handle It at That Age

Why is it so difficult for an F1 driver to succeed at Ferrari? It’s a good question considering Lewis Hamilton is set to make his way to Maranello in 2025. It’s a situation that the former Ferrari driver Alain Prost is not so confident about. While names like Michael Schumacher and Niki Lauda spring to mind when you think of successful drivers for the Scuderia, Ferrari’s history is also filled with drivers who have failed to make any lasting impression. And we’re talking about drivers who had already proven their worth elsewhere.

Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel, and Alain Prost were multiple world champions when they made their way to Maranello. However, none of them were able to deliver a championship, even in a car that was capable of doing so. And now, it’s turn for Lewis Hamilton to try his luck in the iconic red of the Scuderia. For the first time in his career, Hamilton will not be powered by a Mercedes engine when he gets to Melbourne for the first race in 2025.

But will he be able to achieve where others have failed? Can Lewis Hamilton deliver a championship for Ferrari? Alain Prost recently shared his views on the matter and according to him, Hamilton will be under a lot of pressure in Maranello. Prost explained that the way Ferrari operates is very different from other teams, which is perhaps why so many drivers have failed before.

But the pressure is not only from the inside, all Ferrari drivers are under the strict scrutiny of the Italian media and the Italian fans; the Tifosi. “I can understand that he wants to try something different,” Alain Prost was quoted by FormulaPassion.it. “Mercedes has been in trouble for two years, so I can understand that you are looking for refuge elsewhere.”

Age is also a factor that Prost thinks could contribute to Hamilton’s struggles at Ferrari. “Next year, however, he will be even a year older and I wonder if he will be able to regain his motivation. It’s possible for a short time, but he’s been in an English team for a long time and the way of working at Ferrari, an Italian team, is different. Hamilton will also be under incredible pressure from the media. It’s not easy,“ he concluded.

We have barely kicked off the 2024 season, however, people are already showing more interest in what will happen in 2025, and it has started to cause problems.

Lewis Hamilton and Frederic Vasseur are fed up with questions about 2025

Ferrari’s decision to announce Hamilton’s move a year in advance has only backfired on both parties. And there is a good reason for that. In the case of Fred Vasseur, the incredible start of the season for Carlos Sainz has led the media to question Ferrari’s decision to let him go. The situation had gotten so far that Vasseur had to shut down the questions with a blunt response.

When asked after the conclusion of the Japanese Grand Prix if he regrets letting Sainz go, Vasseur snapped and replied, “We have the same question every week. Do a copy-paste of my last week’s reply, the next time.”

In the case of Lewis Hamilton, the situation is the opposite. Mercedes has fallen even further behind on the grid compared to ’23 and the media has been constantly asking him about his future with Ferrari since they are the closest car to the Red Bull. At Suzuka, when asked if he was jealous of the Ferrari’s pace, Lewis Hamilton snapped back at the reporter saying, “Do you have any better questions?”

It is no surprise that there is so much anticipation surrounding what has been called the biggest driver move of the century. It will be interesting to see if Hamilton can succeed where his rivals like Alonso and Vettel failed.

Do you agree with Alain Prost’s assessment? Let us know what you think in the comments below.