The incoming technical regulations represent the biggest reset in a generation, reshaping chassis concepts and power unit philosophies in a way that recalls 2014’s hybrid revolution.
Back in 2014, Mercedes arrived better prepared than anyone else and dominated for nearly a decade.
The ambition now is not to replicate that dominance overnight, but to ensure the team is once again positioned to lead rather than chase when the rules are rewritten.
George Russell stands at the centre of that ambition. Having established himself as Mercedes’ de facto lead driver over the past seasons, he enters this phase of the project with clear aspirations of fighting for a title if the machinery allows it.
Russell has already shown he can win races and carry the technical direction of the team; the next step is converting that responsibility into a sustained championship bid as the competitive landscape reshuffles.
Alongside him, Kimi Antonelli‘s second year in Formula 1 adds another layer of intrigue.
After a rookie season spent learning under intense scrutiny, Antonelli now faces the more demanding task of turning promise into performance. His development will be crucial not only to Mercedes’ short-term results, but also to the team’s long-term trajectory.
Mercedes 2026 F1 car livery reveal: live stream
While Mercedes will initially only unveil renders of its 2026 car, the German squad will also hold an official season launch on 2 February, available for fans and media to watch online. Full details of that are yet to be revealed.
Mercedes 2026 shakedown and testing schedule
Mercedes has yet to confirm whether it will run its new car in a shakedown or filming day ahead of pre-season testing, although it is likely it will carry out its usual Silverstone run.
The team is permitted two demonstration runs per year with a current car, limited to 15km, as well as up to two filming days allowing 200km of running apiece.
Mercedes will join the rest of the grid at the opening test in Barcelona, which will run behind closed doors from January 26-30.
After that, Mercedes will officially launch its 2026 car in another event on 2 February.
Mercedes’ 2026 car
Mercedes enters the new regulatory era seeking to reclaim the dominance that defined its hybrid era supremacy, but now operating within a vastly altered competitive landscape.
The Brackley-based operation remains under the technical leadership of James Allison, with its engineering infrastructure largely unchanged and its status as a works manufacturer team giving it a potential advantage as Formula 1 pivots to new power unit regulations.
The team will continue with its own in-house developed engine programme, its power unit already rumoured to be the class of the field even before the cars hit the track.
The W17 represents Mercedes’ first full clean-sheet design under the radically overhauled technical regulations, with the team having committed significant resources to the 2026 project earlier than most rivals.
