F1 Today | Ford powertrain roars to life, Hamilton mocked by former sponsor

As the new season nears, news continues to flood out of the F1 world. In an exclusive conversation with GPblog, Guenther Steiner has commented on Aston Martin's ambitions to sign Max Verstappen, Red Bull's Ford powertrain engine roars into life for the first time, and Lewis Hamilton is mocked by one of his Mercedes sponsors. See the latest news of the day now!

Steiner: Aston Martin should sign Verstappen 'even if he comes last'

Speaking in conversation with GPblog, former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has said that Aston Martin should fork out all they can for Max Verstappen as they loom to fulfil their F1 ambitions.

For days, the media were full of rumours about a possible offer from Aston Martin after a report that was published in the Daily Mail. Steiner first of all doubts that so much money would actually be offered for a driver. Read the full story by clicking the link here.

Red Bull's Ford powertrain roars into life

Red Bull and Ford are currently working hard to develop their first joint power unit for the 2026 season. With only a year to go, work is already well-advanced. A version of the engine is already on the test bench, and Jim Farley, the American brand's CEO and president, has already shared the sound of their creation for the first time.

Not only is Ford working on the 2026 F1 engine already, but the American brand has also announced other big plans as well. Earlier this Friday, Ford shared they will be a manufacturer in WEC's hypercar category. The Americans will join as a factory team from the 2027 season onwards. Listen to the sound posted by Farley here!

Christian Horner also shared his clear goals for the upcoming partnership at Ford Performance's 2025 Season Launch event. In other news, talking to Sky Sports, the British team principal and GPDA President Alexander Wurz reflected on Johnny Herbert no longer being a steward.

Hamilton mocked by long-time Mercedes sponsor

Luxury watch brand IWC Schaffhausen, a long-time sponsor of Mercedes' Formula 1 team, decided to recreate the iconic photo of Lewis Hamilton in front of Ferrari’s headquarters in Maranello.

The Instagram account IWC Watches saw the photo and decided to have some fun with it. They posted their own version with the caption: "First day of Kurt Klaus' 68th season with IWC. But who's counting?" as the 91-year-old watchmaker is now beginning year 68 with the company. See IWC's post with this link!

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