F1 2026 car launches: all the liveries revealed
The covers are now fully off the new generation of grand prix racers. With pre-season testing already under way in Bahrain, here is a complete guide to every team's 2026 launch
Audi
Formula 1’s 2026 launch season is now complete, with all 11 teams having revealed their liveries ahead of pre-season testing in Bahrain.
The season kicked off in style on 15 January when Red Bull and Racing Bulls jointly unveiled their colours at a special event in Detroit – a fitting location given the occasion also marked the official introduction of the Ford Red Bull Powertrains partnership, with Ford returning to the sport after a 22-year absence.
Haas followed on 19 January, becoming notably the first team to reveal digital images of its actual 2026 car rather than a show car – a white and red livery with strong Toyota Gazoo Racing branding that reflects the team’s deepening relationship with the Japanese manufacturer.
Audi was next on 20 January, hosting a glitzy launch event in Berlin to unveil the R26 in a titanium silver and red scheme.
Mercedes split its launch across two events, dropping renders of the W17 on 22 January ahead of a full season launch on 2 February.
Ferrari revealed its car on 23 January – with the caveat that it represented only the “spec A” version of its design at that stage – while Alpine unveiled the A526 livery the same day aboard a cruise ship in Barcelona, the blue and pink colour scheme carried over from recent seasons.
Williams revealed its livery on 3 February – a predominantly blue design with white on the engine cover and wings and new sponsor Barclays’ lighter blue on the sidepods – though the actual FW48 car was not publicly shown until the first Bahrain test, after delays to its completion meant the team missed the Barcelona shakedown entirely.
Cadillac made a blockbuster entrance on 8 February, unveiling its first-ever F1 livery in a Super Bowl television ad. The American team’s Ferrari-powered challenger sports an eye-catching two-sided design – grayish white on the left flank and black on the right, reminiscent of the BAR split livery from 1999.
Aston Martin and McLaren both launched on 9 February. Aston Martin held a lavish event in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, revealing the AMR26 – its first car designed under Adrian Newey’s leadership and the first to be powered by Honda —-though a show car was used on the occasion.
McLaren’s launch took place simultaneously at the Bahrain International Circuit, with reigning world champion Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Zak Brown, and Andrea Stella all in attendance to unveil the MCL40’s official livery.
F1 car launch dates 2026
McLaren
Reveal date: 9 February
McLaren revealed its livery two days before F1 testing in Bahrain and, as the reigning constructors’ champions, with the current world champion driver, the team didn’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
A striped look for Mercedes in 2026
Mercedes
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.
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.”
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
After delaying the debut of its 2026 F1 car until Bahrain, Williams unveiled renders of its colour scheme ahead of the testing of the Sahkir test.
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 launch event only featured a show car, but the team’s 2026 car has since broken cover during a shakedown run at Imola, captured by photographer Filippo Perotti of FP images. Standing out with an outsized, flattened airbox, the car appeared to be running with a basic aerodynamic set-up that is unlikely to reflect VCARB 03’s race-spec bodywork.
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 launched its 2026 car on February 9 after the behind-closed-doors Barcelona test, and it was one of 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.
2026 Aston Martin F1 car launch
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.
Audi
Livery reveal date: January 20
Audi has put its championship hopes on ice until 2023
Audi
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.
Alpine
Livery reveal date: January 23
Alpine’s 2026 F1 car
Alpine
Alpine’s livery launch was somewhat overshadowed by Ferrari’s event which took place on the same day.
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 launched in a blaze of publicity, befitting Formula 1’s newest team, during Super Bowl halftime break.
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.