F1 News: Mercedes tease first look at 2026 car

mercedes, f175, george russell, toto wolff, kimi antonelli — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Mercedes tease first look at 2026 car

Mercedes are the latest team to unveil their car launch date

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Tuesday 6 January 2026 17:52

Mercedes are the latest F1 team to tease when the first look at their 2026 car concept will be unveiled to fans.

There are three rounds of pre-season testing ahead of the 2026 championship, and after last year's F175 extravaganza at London's O2 arena, teams have returned to their usual individual car launches.

Red Bull were the first to announce their launch and will kick off the 2026 car reveals on January 15.

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Mercedes fans will then get their first look at the latest development of the Silver Arrows on Thursday, January 22, though this will differ from the official launch.

Later this month, the Brackley-based squad will share the first images of their 2026 car when renders of this season’s challenger will be published across the team’s social media accounts.

What will Mercedes' 2026 car be called?

In a recent post on the Mercedes Instagram channel, the team revealed the new name with a glowing graphic that read 'F1 W17' and featured the accompanying caption: "First look at the future. 22.01.26."

The successor to the Silver Arrows 2025 challenger will officially be called the Mercedes-AMG F1 W17 E Performance, following the natural progression of the W16 which landed Mercedes with a P2 finish in the constructors' standings last year.

Mercedes will then put on a digital season launch show on Monday, February 2, which will see CEO and F1 team principal Toto Wolff joined by his stellar driver duo of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, both of whom have signed a fresh deal until the end of the 2026 championship.

The event will offer an in-depth insight on all the technical elements ahead of a major change in regulations for the 2026 season, with senior team members on hand to give fans a deep dive into the advanced sustainable fuels developed by Mercedes partner Petronas.

The event will be available to watch via the team’s social media channels.

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