F1 Today: Honda's not so exclusive future with Aston, Marko judges Hamilton

In a week's time we will know the results of the first Grand Prix of the 2025 season. Ahead of that, though, the F1 world is buzzing with news in light of the impending start of the new campaign.

Honda Racing Corporation President, Koji Watanabe, has stated the Japanese manufacturer's intentions to expand his current F1 customer pool should the possibility arise. Helmut Marko eyed Lewis Hamilton during winter testing and according to the Red Bull advisor, the Briton came up short of Charles Leclerc's performance.

Former F1 drivers turned experts, Christijan Albers and Giedo van der Garde wonder if Red Bull Racing's Technical Director, Pierre Waché is cut out for the job ahead of what they expect to be an intense development battle between McLaren and the Austrian team. Furthermore, van der Garde adds that McLaren driver Lando Norris can become champion, if he has the best car and the team choose him as their lead driver.

Former F1 champion, Jacques Villeneuve, has criticised Toto Wolff's leadership of the Mercedes F1 team, questioning Andrea Kimi Antonelli's signing and Valtteri Bottas being given a third driver role at the German team. In other team principal related news, Max Verstappen has recently opened up about his new role as team boss of his new GT Racing team, Verstappen.com Racing.

Michael Schumacher has been honored with an endearing demostration by son Mick Schumacher, and confessed admirer Sebastian Vettel, at the Race of Champions. F1's first ever female race engineer claims this achievement makes her sad, but sees the upside in the potential impact she may have on other women who are pursuing a career in motorsport.