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| Written by Keith Collantine
Mercedes has presented the first images of the W17, its new car for the 2026 Formula 1 season.
The team heads into the new season hoping F1’s drastic change in technical regulations will help them regain the form they enjoyed prior to the last major rules change in 2022.
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Mercedes won eight consecutive constructors’ championships over the preceding seasons. The power units also took McLaren to the last two constructors’ titles. They have therefore been widely tipped to master the new engine rules more quickly than other teams.
“Formula 1 will undergo significant change in 2026 and we are prepared for that transition,” said team principal and CEO Toto Wolff. “The new regulations demand innovation and absolute focus across every area of performance.
“Our work on the new car, and the long-term development of the power unit and advanced sustainable fuels with Petronas, reflects that approach.”
Mercedes has also revealed a major new sponsorship deal with technology giant Microsoft, whose logos appear on the W17’s roll hoop air intake and front wing end plates.
For the second year in a row the team’s driver line-up comprises George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Russell, who won the Canadian and Singapore grands prix last year on his way to fourth place in the championship, is heading into his fifth season at the team.
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However Mercedes heads into the new season without its former director of car design, John Owen, whose departure was confirmed this week. Owen had been with the team since its 2009 constructors’ championship victory as Brawn. Mercedes confirmed Giacomo Tortora, previously its engineering director, has taken over as director of car design.
The team is due to reveal more information about its preparation for the new season when it holds an official launch event on February 2nd, following the first pre-season test at the Circuit de Catalunya next week. Teams will be allowed to run on up to three days of the five-day test which takes place at the home of the Spanish Grand Prix.
Rolling out for our first laps of F1 2026 😤 pic.twitter.com/V2hvUTv3Gx
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) January 22, 2026
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Unicron (@unicron2002)
22nd January 2026, 9:11
Better effort than last year. I like the shark gills.
G (@unklegsif)
22nd January 2026, 9:18
I like it – livery aside (which is also a good one), these new gen cars I think are much better looking than in previous years (caveat given that these havent been actual cars yet), and this one at least “looks fast” 😎
One thing I have noticed however, is that so far they dont seem to be giving away anything related to the moveable front aero… not seen any DRS type activation pods on the front wings yet
G
Dave The Drummer (@davethedrummer)
22nd January 2026, 9:30
That looks great.
cdavman (@cdavman)
22nd January 2026, 9:45
One thing I’m noticing with a lot of these renders is just how close the chunky front wing end plates are to the front wheels. Particularly on this one where the end plate is shaped for the wheel itself.
Seems like it’s going to be very easy for a driver to give themselves a puncture by clipping something with their front wing, and pushing it back into their own front wheel.
Tony Mansell (@tonymansell)
22nd January 2026, 9:51
Theres a better balance in these cars between wheel size, length of car and width. Looks like Mercedes are setting the scene to have a lot of carbon fibre showing, that render is painted black but no way will they paint CF black for racing.
All of the liveries have been better, Vcarb aside weirdly. I hope Ferrari nail it, the last few years with HP have been awful. HP Sauce would’ve been more apt
An Sionnach
22nd January 2026, 10:35
!
“Frankly, I’m not HP”.
Should have a photo of Frank Bruno on each side of the engine cover. Ferrari could also have its drivers beaten up by a heavyweight champion at the end of a race if they didn’t win, even if the car is useless. Win, but criticise the car? Same treatment!
An Sionnach
22nd January 2026, 10:38
I like it. Definitely an improvement. I think Mercedes should have as much silver as possible, but everything else complements it here.
An Sionnach
22nd January 2026, 10:40
I also like the Audi one, but the back end looks a bit like a Jaffa cake. It’s both daring and foolhardy.
An Sionnach
22nd January 2026, 10:47
I like how the Audi has more silver, but the back offends the eyes in a deliberately in-your-face sort of way. Mercedes wouldn’t do this. In a way the liveries are emblematic of the experience of seeing one of their road cars on-road. The Mercedes is quiet, predictable and dignified; the Audi might look nice, but the driving is so erratic that you suspect the pilot (and I say “pilot” as opposed to “driver”) is trying to open another pack of Jaffa Cakes.
Jungle
22nd January 2026, 10:42
Looks very cool
Imre (@f1mre)
22nd January 2026, 11:46
Bargeboards look hideous.
Tone
22nd January 2026, 12:26
Side pods kinda remind me of the Ferrari bathtub side pods from 2022 without the gills.
Djangles LeVaughn (@royal-spark)
22nd January 2026, 12:45
They are still partially painting their cars to save weight and using black to make the bare carbon fibre blend in.
Mr B
22nd January 2026, 14:08
I believe the new regulations for 2026 state that at least 50% of the car’s bodywork must now be painted or ‘stickered’.
PeteB
22nd January 2026, 12:56
Nice. That’s the first livery so far that looks really good. I’ve not been keen on the black Mercedes but that’s a really nice mix of black and silver.
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