Mercedes reveal how 'new era' of F1 cars will sound in 2026

Photo: © IMAGO

F1 2026

Mercedes reveal how 'new era' of F1 cars will sound in 2026

Races will sound a little different next season

Chris Deeley

Friday 19 December 2025 22:43

Mercedes have revealed the first taste of their F1 engines for 2026 on social media, amid sweeping rule changes.

The power unit rule changes are the first of their type in over a decade, with the sport's handful of engine manufacturers (Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes, Honda and Audi) all racing to secure an early advantage.

Mercedes' engine is of particular interest to the sport, with McLaren, Alpine and Williams all contracted to use their power units for this season at least – meaning that the reigning champions' fortune is closely tied to that of one of their rivals.

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The team posted a clip on social media on Friday morning showcasing the sound of their new power unit going up through the gears, giving a first hint of noise that four of the 11 teams on the grid will produce next year.

New sound for 2026

The post was captioned 'New era. New sound', and contained a 20 second sound clip, with the phrase 'coming soon'.

While the caption may evoke the classic Back To The Future line 'Chuck! Chuck, it's Marvin. Your cousin, Marvin Berry. You know that new sound you're looking for? Well, listen to this!', the engine noise doesn't sound much like Michael J Fox playing Johnny B. Goode. Obviously. It sounds like an F1 engine.

The hybrid engine will feature a way more powerful battery component which will generate three times the electrical power compared to the current hybrid setup. This translates to a jump from 120kW to a staggering 350kW.

And while the internal combustion engine (ICE) element will see a slight decrease in power output (from 550-560kW to 400kW), the overall power available will actually increase and will be produced more sustainably.

Additionally, the new power units will be able to capture double the amount of energy from braking, generating a massive 8.5 megajoules per lap.