Formula 1 is poised to begin a new era of much changed cars and engines in 2026, making launch season one of the most eagerly anticipated in years.
With pre-season testing beginning at the end of January, initially with behind-closed-doors running in Barcelona, teams will start to show off their 2026 looks and cars several weeks earlier than recent years as they ramp up preparations for the 24 race campaign from March.
All 11 teams including the new Cadillac team have now confirmed their respective launch dates.
January 15th – Red Bull & Racing Bulls
The two Red Bull teams have kicked of their new engine era at the Detroit headquarters of partners Ford by revealing their respective 2026 car liveries.
January 19th – Haas
Haas originally scheduled their launch for Friday January 23rd but the changed it to avoid a clash with Ferrari and Alpine.
They have moved it a few days earlier to the 19th January, when the livery for their 2026 car, will be unveiled online.
January 20th – Audi
They aren’t a brand new team like Cadillac, but Sauber’s transition to Audi will become official when the German team hold a “global launch” event in Berlin.
The team’s 2026 livery will be revealed, while they’ll extend the event into the following day to allow F1 fans in the German capital to come and have a look.
January 22nd – Mercedes
Mercedes will show off the first renders of their latest challenger, the W17, on January 22nd ahead of a season in which they bid to get back to title-contending ways after disappointment in the ground-effect rules era.
After the behind-closed doors Barcelona test on January 26th-30th, the team will then host a season launch event online featuring drivers, George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, team boss Toto Wolff and the W17 itself on Monday February 2nd.
January 23rd- Ferrari
After the disappointment of their winless 2025 season, Ferrari will officially launch what they hope will be a big bounce back year for them on Friday January 23rd – three days before the behind closed doors test.
The Scuderia have given little away so far about the exact nature of the launch.
January 23rd- Alpine
Alpine have promised “we’ve got something to show you” when they too hold an event on Friday January 23rd from Barcelona.
The team aiming for a big step forward in F1’s new era having slipped to last in the 2025 constructors’ standings amid an early focus shift to 2026, with Alpine also swapping their own works Renault engines for a customer supply of a Mercedes power unit that is expected to be strong.
February 3rd – Williams
Williams unveil what they say will be a “new look” for the team when they launch the livery for their 2026 car, the FW48, on Tuesday 3rd February.
The car will have run in a special one off fan-designed livery before then for the first test in Barcelona.
February 8th – Cadillac
The team’s maiden car livery will be shown in a TV advert during the Super Bowl, which this year is being staged at California’s Levi’s Stadium on Sunday February 8th.
February 9th – McLaren
Defending world champions Mclaren will reveal their 2026 car livery to the world on Monday February 9th, two days before the first public test of pre-season begins in Bahrain.
New World Champion, Lando Norris will be present at an online event from the Bahrain International Circuit alongside team-mate Oscar Piastri and team chiefs Zak Brown and Andrea Stella, which starts at 3pm UK time.
February 9th – Aston Martin
The eagerly anticipated unveiling of the first Aston Martin car designed by the legendary Adrian Newey will break cover on Monday February 9th, the same day as McLaren.
The new AMR26 will also be the first of the team’s car to be powered by Honda.
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