Lewis Hamilton has warned Charles Leclerc and Pierre Gasly that there's "no substitute" for experience as the pair prepare to step up in 2019.

Leclerc is the highest profile mover as he heads to Ferrari in just his second season while Gasly's promotion was forced upon Red Bull after Daniel Ricciardo's decision to join Renault and Carlos Sainz opted for McLaren.

Both face the task of trying to end the domination of Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel in the battle for the championship with Max Verstappen also attempting the same, and the Briton admitted he's happy to see fresh faces at the front.

"I welcome the competition, naturally," he said in Brazil.

"I do see a little bit of myself within them, being at their age I had the same kind of 'eye of the tiger', I would say but I guess now it is a little bit different for me being that I am one of the older drivers."

With age comes wisdom, however, and as Hamilton looks for a sixth world title next year, he hopes that can help him stay ahead.

"I feel like I still have that hunger that I guess that they are coming in with but backed with experience," the 33-year-old said.

"I don't know how you guys feel in your job - but in my job experience - and I am pretty sure it is the same in yours - there is no substitute for that.

"So I hope that speaks mountains next year."

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• Ocon tips Leclerc & Gasly to trigger a 'generational shift' in 2019

Elsewhere, four-time F1 champion Alain Prost is pondering what will now motivate Hamilton next year and beyond, after beating Vettel to the title this season.

"I think the target is to be again world champion, and see what happens next year," he told Motorsport.com. "It's the first step, a personal decision. When you are on five, you think about six, you don't think about seven or eight.

"Sometimes if for example like next year you have a change of regulations, it can always give you an extra motivation because inside the team you don't know how to manage that, and it's again going to be a long season.

"That's why it's difficult to tell. You know one day you wake up and then say do I want to do that again? You don't know, nobody knows."