Mercedes Announces W17 Livery Reveal and 2026 Season Launch Date

Mercedes has officially set the timeline for the unveiling of its 2026 Formula 1 car, the W17, with a livery reveal scheduled for January 22 and a full season launch event on February 2. The announcement comes as the team aims to reclaim its dominant position under a new set of technical regulations, with Team Principal Toto Wolff managing expectations despite high hopes for the new challenger.

Why it matters:

The 2026 season represents a massive reset for Formula 1, with new power unit regulations designed to close the gap to the front and create more competitive racing. As a team that mastered the last major regulatory shift in 2014, Mercedes' approach and early performance with the W17 will be a key indicator of whether they can replicate that success or if rivals have finally found a way to outsmart the Brackley-based squad.

The Details:

• Livery & Launch Schedule: Mercedes will first release digital renders of the W17's livery on January 22, 2026. This will be followed by a full season launch event on February 2, which will be streamed live online for fans globally.
• Driver & Management Presence: The launch event will feature the team's 2026 driver lineup of George Russell and rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli, alongside Team Principal Toto Wolff.
• Private Testing: Following the livery reveal, the team will conduct private testing from January 26 to 30 to gather initial data on the new car before the official pre-season tests.
• Wolff's Cautious Optimism: Despite the team's history of dominance in the hybrid era, Wolff is tempering expectations. He admitted to being a "notorious pessimist" and questioned whether the team's internal targets were ambitious enough or if their execution would be "faultless."
• 2026 Regulations: The new season introduces a revolutionary 50/50 split between internal combustion engine and electric power in the hybrid units, a significant change that has forced all manufacturers to start from a clean slate.

What's next:

All eyes will be on the first glimpses of the W17, but the real measure of performance will come during pre-season testing in Bahrain in February. Wolff emphasized that the 2026 season will be a marathon, not a sprint, stating that "the name of the game is going to be the constant development of the tools throughout the season." The season will then officially kick off with the Australian Grand Prix on March 6-8.