Here’s all the major F1 news on Monday, January 8:

Zak Brown backs Lewis Hamilton title push

Zak Brown has often championed the battle behind Max Verstappen and it is that fight that makes him believe Hamilton could win an eighth title.

The McLaren CEO said: “The great mystery on Red Bull is when did they turn off the development of their car to focus on next year [2024], and I think the answer is probably pretty early, so we’ll just have to wait and see how much Adrian Newey magic comes out of the oven so to speak to see where we are.

“And at the same time Mercedes or Ferrari, these teams have everything they need and are great teams and I wouldn’t be surprised if we were sitting here and all of a sudden Mercedes was back to Lewis winning his eighth championship.”

More FIA change with another key departureThe day started with even more change at the FIA as another senior figure left, making it three in the space of a month.

This time it was technical director Tim Goss who said: “It’s been an honour to work as technical director at the FIA and to help shape the future of the sport.

“I take immense pride and satisfaction from the numerous achievements of the technical department during my stint at the FIA.

“The department boasts a number of highly-talented individuals and I believe the organisation is on a firm footing in terms of technical expertise for the tasks which lie ahead – particularly the introduction of the 2026 regulations.

“I leave with fond memories of my time with the FIA.”

Williams confirm Mercedes deal continues into 2026Later in the day, there was more news in the form of Williams confirming they would stick with Mercedes as their power unit supplier for the 2026 season onwards.

That means they become the second customer team of the Silver Arrows following McLaren’s extension late in the 2023 season.

James Vowles said: “We have enjoyed a long-term partnership with Mercedes-Benz, and we are thrilled to extend this collaboration into the next era of Formula 1.

“The expertise, support and technology that Mercedes brings to the table align perfectly with our team’s aspirations in the medium and long term.

“This long-term agreement with Mercedes is a positive step and forms part of our objectives for the future, whilst we will still retain our design and manufacturing expertise and capabilities in-house.”

Christian Horner makes Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen claimIt is not often you will hear a team principal admit one driver is favoured but Christian Horner believes that it is undeniable when speaking of Hamilton and Max Verstappen.

“Max came to us as a teenager, he’s now a World Champion,” Hroner said. “I think the same with Lewis Hamilton. He’s now the most successful driver of all time.

“He will have more sway within his team than his team-mate, because his value to the team is significantly greater.”

Rumours of Ferrari 2024 front wing emergeDown to Maranello now where there are reports Ferrari will unveil a front wing that may look remarkably similar.

The Italian team will reportedly roll out a new front wing for their F1 2024 challenger, bearing similarities to that of the Red Bull RB19 as they target a more stable front end.

Ferrari harboured strong hopes of returning to the title scene in 2023, having gone without such success in Formula 1 since 2008.

As it turned out, Ferrari and the rest did not stand a chance against the mighty Red Bull, their RB19 hoovering up 21 wins out of 22 grands prix, only Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz denying them the undefeated season with his triumph in Singapore.