Mercedes has confirmed when the wraps will come off its next-generation challenger – the W17 – as anticipation builds around one of the most transformative rule changes Formula 1 has seen in years.
The Brackley-based team will unveil its new car on 22 January 2026, offering fans their first glimpse of the machine Mercedes hopes will usher in a fresh era of success.
The sport’s first private test in Barcelona will follow shortly after, running from 26 to 30 January, giving engineers and drivers their first real-world data from the radical new package.
A New Car for a New Era
While the W17 itself will debut in January, Mercedes is planning a full-scale season launch event on 2 February, which will be streamed live online.
Team principal Toto Wolff will be joined by drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, marking the official start of a campaign loaded with expectation.
Formula 1’s 2026 regulations introduce a dramatic shift in power unit philosophy, with a 50/50 split between internal combustion and electric power, a move designed to enhance sustainability while keeping performance at the forefront.
Mercedes, which dominated the sport throughout the first hybrid era from 2014 to 2021, is widely viewed as one of the teams best placed to capitalise.
Fresh off a second-place finish in the 2025 constructors’ championship, optimism among fans is high – even if Wolff himself is refusing to get carried away.
“I'm a notorious pessimist, and the glass is always half empty rather than half full,” Wolff admitted in a Mercedes debrief video following the 2025 season.
Read also: Why Mercedes has a hidden weapon in F1 for 2026The Austrian outlined both ambition and caution in equal measure.
“And we've set ourselves targets on the power unit and the same on the chassis. Whether those targets were ambitious enough, whether we have missed the trick... whether our execution is going to be as faultless as it should be? I don't know.
“We're going to see some glimpses of performance balance in testing late in January and then in Bahrain. But I think the name of the game is going to be the constant development of the tools throughout the season.”
Countdown to Lights Out
After the January unveiling and February testing sessions – scheduled for 11–13 February and 18–20 February – the new season will officially burst into life at the Australian Grand Prix, running from 6–8 March.
For Mercedes, the W17 represents more than just a new car. It is a statement of intent at the dawn of a new technical chapter – one that could redefine the competitive order.
Whether it delivers another silver-era dominance remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: the countdown has well and truly begun.
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