F1 2026 car launches: dates and schedule, plus all the reveals so far

Formula 1‘s 2026 launch season is well underway, with Ferrari and Alpine the latest teams to reveal the look of their new cars, following on from Mercedes, Audi, Red Bull, Racing Bulls and Haas.

It concludes a busy week of reveals, in which five teams unveiled their 2026 colour schemes.

But while the liveries might be new (or mildly updated), don’t look too hard for any design secrets on the cars. Ahead of the first test session at the end of this month, teams are are either pulling the covers off show cars, with a generic design that reflects this year’s new regulations, or showing early concepts for the 2026 cars. This enables them to keep any innovative features close to their chests for now.

F1 teams are always cagey about revealing too much too early, and they will be ultra-cautious this year due to the new design rules that have forced them to design their cars from scratch. Any team could have come up with an ingenious concept that will propel them to the front of the grid and they’ll want to keep it under wraps for as long as possible.

While we’ve seen some shots of cars on track, taking part in shakedown runs, we are unlikely to get a proper look at a genuine 2026 race car until testing — and some teams could keep some features hidden even until the first race of the season in Australia.

Here’s what we know so far, and the car launches yet to come.

2026 F1 car launch dates and livery reveals

Click on any team to jump to more details

Haas, Audi and Mercedes will follow Red Bull with livery reveals but, as launch season continues, we’re likely to start to see more unique details: Ferrari may show a version of its new car on January 23, just ahead of the first testing session at Barcelona in late January, which will be held behind closed doors.

Further launches are then planned, including new team Cadillac, which will reveal its livery during the half-time break at NFL’s Super Bowl on February 8, a day ahead of Aston Martin and McLaren. Then there will be two public tests in Bahrain, where we should see all of this year’s cars in full for the first time — although perhaps still missing one or two key components.

2026 F1 pre-season testing

The first running of the 2026 cars will take place behind closed doors at the Circuit de Barcelona‑Catalunya from January 26-30.

With the teams facing a seismic technical overhaul, the first shakedown will be kept entirely private: no television coverage, no journalists on site and no live social-media feed allowed.

After that, two full public test sessions are scheduled in Bahrain, first on February 11-13 and then on February 18-20, with fans, media and broadcasters finally able to view the new machines ahead of the opening round.

F1 car launch dates 2026

McLaren

Reveal date: 9 February

McLaren is set to reveal its livery two days before F1 testing in Bahrain and, as the reigning constructors’ champions, with the current world champion driver, the team won’t need to do much to create headlines.

At the factory, however, staff face a monumental task of building a car that can defend both titles with a customer engine deal. The introduction of sweeping new rules often favours factory teams, who are better placed to integrate power unit and chassis seamlessly.

Mercedes

Livery reveal date: January 22
Car launch date: February 2

The last time Formula 1 mandated an all-new powertrain, Mercedes was so dominant that it won eight constructors’ championships in uninterrupted succession, so it’s not surprising that the team is the pre-season favourite.

Of course, history is no guarantee of success, but paddock whisperings suggest that Mercedes’ engine dyno figures are fearsome, perhaps helped by a legal loophole that it has taken full advantage of.

As the team saw in the ground effect era from 2022, having a leading engine can’t save you if the chassis isn’t up to it, but if it can take advantage of its factory programme to integrate power unit and chassis seamlessly in its new W17, the Silver Arrows may be unbeatable once more.

2026 Mercedes F1 car launch

Red Bull

Livery reveal date: January 15

Red Bull, alongside sister team Racing Bulls, is the first team to officially kick off the 2026 Formula 1 car launch season, with both teams having revealed their livery at an event on January 15.

The event marked the official introduction of the Ford Red Bull Powertrains unit, as Ford returns to Formula 1 after a 22-year absence.

“Since we announced our return to F1 with Red Bull, the team has been working night and day to get ready for 2026,” said Mark Rushbrook, Ford Racing’s global director. “But this is about so much more than just the racing.

“It is about how we use our learnings from F1 to make our cars and trucks better for our customers. What we will learn together with Red Bull will define the technologies of the future and that is what excites me most about this relationship.”

2026 Red Bull F1 car launch

Ferrari

Car launch date: January 23

With an established team principal, perhaps the mightiest driver duo on the grid, and the vast resources of Maranello, Ferrari should have everything in place to challenge for the championship in 2026,

Mind you, we thought the same in 2022. And 2025. The team rarely has the chance to escape its furrow of perennial underperformance before a new structure is imposed and the cycle of hope and despair begins again.

Team principal Frederic Vasseur knows that failure won’t be tolerated in 2026 — particularly after undermining rumours began to circulate during last year’s disappointing season — so suggestions that Ferrari’s power unit may be lacking in performance will be concerning for him, not to mention the long-suffering Charles Leclerc who’s due a championship challenger, and Lewis Hamilton who deserves a final chance to shine.

Williams

Livery reveal date: February 3

We won’t get the first glimpse of Williams’ new 2026 look until after the first testing session, in keeping for a team that’s cloaked in intrigue for 2026.

This is the season where Williams’ carefully-laid plans should start to come to fruition, after being bought by private investment firm Dorilton Capital, which appointed James Vowles to lead the team.

He has spent the past two seasons on an extensive restructure, sacrificing immediate results to build the foundations for success, and securing the services of the dynamic Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz.

If Williams is on track to meet its target of fighting for race wins in 2028, then we would expect to see it close to the front of the midfield in 2026. But given the team’s progress so far, and its hotly-tipped Mercedes power-unit, don’t write off its chances of the FW48 fighting at the front come the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

Racing Bulls

Livery reveal date: January 15

Racing Bulls shared the spotlight with Red Bull Racing at a joint launch event on January 15, the first time both teams have unveiled their cars together.

It’s not a shock that the team has stuck with one of the most popular liveries on the grid, save for a touch of extra blue to mark its partnership with Ford; the manufacturer is providing support to Red Bull’s in-house power unit project.

The run also represented the first laps covered by the Red Bull power unit, which is crucial to the success of the team.

The 2025 season saw Racing Bulls steadily close the gap to the frontrunners, with Isack Hadjar even scoring a podium finish at Zandvoort.

For 2026, the team is once again fielding a promising youngster in Arvid Lindblad, who replaces the Red Bull-bound Hadjar, alongside Liam Lawson.

2026 Racing Bulls F1 car launch

Aston Martin

Car launch: February 9

Aston Martin will launch its 2026 car on February 9 after the behind-closed-doors Barcelona test, and it might be the most closely-watched one of the lot.

No modern F1 designer can match Adrian Newey’s track record when it comes to interpreting new regulations, so his first Aston Martin F1 car will be scrutinised carefully.

In reality, that’s only likely to happen during Bahrain testing. If the past is any guide, Aston won’t reveal the fine details at its launch event, although the ultimate decision will fall to Newey as the new team boss.

Haas

Livery reveal date: January 19

Haas initially planned to release the first images of its 2026 livery on January 23, along with Ferrari and Alpine, but brought the date forward “to avoid traffic”.

The team has stuck with its black, white and red colour palette, which fits with the branding of key partner Toyota Gazoo Racing. Haas’s tie-up with the Japanese outfit now extends to its new official name: TGR Haas F1 Team.

The rebrand is bolstered by this year’s livery, featuring bold “GR” lettering on the engine cover and shark fin, which is set to make a comeback across the grid as a result of the new 2026 regulations.

However, another partnership looks to be more crucial to Haas’s hopes of continuing its ascent up the grid: the success of engine supplier Ferrari is likely to make or break the team’s 2026 season.

2026 Haas F1 car launch

Audi

Livery reveal date: January 20

Audi’s takeover of Sauber is complete, and with comes a rebrand, which began last year with the reveal of a “concept livery”.

The second “official” livery reveal then came on January 20 in Berlin.

The team will be officially known as Audi Revolut F1 team following a partnership with the global fintech company.

Of more concern to drivers Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto, as well as F1 project boss Mattia Binotto and team principal Jonathan Wheatley, is how the car will perform. Audi has taken on a herculean task in producing its own power unit as well as its chassis, and admits that it’s likely to need five years to become a title contender.

2026 Audi F1 car launch

Alpine

Livery reveal date: January 23

Alpine’s livery launch is likely to be overshadowed by Ferrari’s event which takes place on the same day. Will the result be different on track?

After years in the doldrums Renault has pulled out as an F1 engine supplier, but its Alpine brand continues as a constructor now powered by Mercedes.

If rumours prove correct and the power unit is the class of the field, then it could transform the fortunes of the team, assuming that it can build a capable chassis.

Cadillac

Livery reveal date: February 15

Cadillac plans to launch in a blaze of publicity, befitting Formula 1’s newest team. It has bought a slot during Super Bowl halftime break to reveal the US outfit’s livery.

The team will be based in Indianapolis, with a satellite facility in Silverstone. It will use a Ferrari engine initially, until its own power unit is developed at General Motors’ motor sport base in North Carolina.

Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez will drive for Cadillac in its first year, with Colton Herta as test driver – the American will run an F2 campaign to gain the necessary superlicence points to become eligible for F1.