The Haas Formula 1 team has officially set its 2026 season in motion, pulling the covers off a new livery for its upcoming challenger, the VF-26.
While the technical intricacies of the actual chassis remain a guarded secret for now, today’s digital reveal offered a glimpse of the American squad’s colours for the upcoming year.
Haas enters the new rules era after it finished 2025 eighth in the constructors’ championship with 79 points, its most successful haul in years.
Its 2025 campaign was anchored by the breakout performances of Oliver Bearman, who gave the team its best result of the season with a fourth-place finish in Mexico.
The Briton stays onboard for his second full F1 season, partnered again by Esteban Ocon, also in his second year with the American outfit.
Rebranded as TGR Haas F1 team following Toyota Gazoo Racing’s move into the title-sponsor role, the outfit is leaning into a deeper relationship that’s designed to strengthen its technical pipeline.
Haas will continue with Ferrari power into the 2026 era, having extended its long-running technical partnership through 2028.
Team boss Ayao Komatsu has framed that stability as central to Haas’s longer-term development path, especially as the championship pivots into a very different aerodynamic and power-unit landscape.
Haas 2026 shakedown and testing schedule
Haas has not yet confirmed when its 2026 Formula 1 car will first run on track, with no shakedown or filming-day plans announced at the time of launch. As with other teams, the American outfit is expected to make use of one of its permitted promotional events to carry out an initial systems check ahead of pre-season testing.
Teams are allowed two filming days per year, each limited to 200km, using current-season machinery. While officially designated for promotional purposes, these outings are routinely used to verify basic car functionality and avoid early technical issues once testing begins.
Haas will take part in the first pre-season test in Barcelona, scheduled to run behind closed doors from January 26-30, where the VF-26 will complete its first extended running alongside the rest of the field.
Haas’ 2026 car: A familiar formula in unfamiliar territory
Haas will be facing a pivotal moment in its ongoing effort to define its identity in a championship undergoing fundamental change.
Since joining Formula 1 in 2016, Haas has embraced a pragmatic blueprint built around long-standing technical ties with Ferrari, relying on Maranello for its power units and significant components rather than building everything in-house.
