Mercedes confirm date for first look at 2026 F1 car

Mercedes have set a date for the reveal of their 2026 Formula 1 car, the Mercedes-AMG F1 W17 E PERFORMANCE.

Renders of the design – made to F1’s all-new regulations – will be released across Mercedes’ digital channels on Thursday, January 22, shortly before the private pre-season test in Barcelona.

A dedicated 2026 digital season launch show will follow on Monday, February 2, ahead of back-to-back test sessions in Bahrain.

The season launch – which will be streamed via Mercedes’ social media pages – is set to feature Silver Arrows CEO and Team Principal Toto Wolff, continuing drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, as well as insight on the sweeping technical changes from senior team members.

Mercedes are pushing to get back to title-challenging ways after failing to win a championship under F1’s recent ground-effect era – the outfit placing third in 2022, second in 2023, fourth in 2024 and second in 2025.

Plenty of other F1 teams have already outlined their 2026 launch plans, with a packed pre-season schedule taking shape across January and February ahead of the campaign kicking off in Australia from March 6-8.