Last Updated on January 6 2026, 11:25 am

First look at the new Mercedes W17 F1, which was revealed in January – If the rumours circulating in the Formula 1 paddock are to be believed, Mercedes may have finally cracked the code for the sport’s radical 2026 regulations. According to insiders, the Brackley-based team has made significant progress with its new power unit, raising hopes of a return to the front after several frustrating seasons.

Mercedes has now confirmed that fans will get their first official glimpse of its next challenger sooner than expected.

On 22 January, Mercedes will release the first official visualisations of the W17 online. While these images are unlikely to reveal every technical detail, they should provide valuable insights into how the Silver Arrows are interpreting the new aerodynamic and packaging rules. In an era where every detail is scrutinised, even digital renders can spark intense debate among fans and engineers alike.

Zak Brown says F1 should go ‘back to the future’

 

The Barcelona tests mark the real beginning

Shortly after the social media reveal, Mercedes will head to Barcelona alongside the rest of the Formula 1 grid. The Circuit de Catalunya will host the first closed-door test sessions during the final week of January, marking the true start of the 2026 era.

These early test laps are of enormous importance. For the first time, teams will run cars designed entirely around the new regulations, including completely revised power units with a 50 per cent electric component. The focus will be on reliability, the correlation between simulation and reality, and understanding how the new cars behave on the track.

For Mercedes, these tests represent a pivotal moment. After years of competing with Red Bull and other teams, the team is eager to confirm that its latest technical direction is finally paying off.

McLaren’s silent power play as Red Bull loses another long-standing senior figure

 

Official launch with Russell and Antonelli

Mercedes will officially unveil the W17 on 2 February in a dedicated online launch event. The presentation will feature race drivers George Russell and rookie Kimi Antonelli, alongside senior team management.

Antonelli will be in the spotlight as he prepares for his first full season in Formula 1. By pairing youth with Russell’s growing leadership, Mercedes hopes that its driver line-up will be able to extract the maximum potential from what is rumoured to be a highly competitive package.

Although the launch will reveal more than the January renders, Mercedes is still expected to keep certain innovations under wraps until the opening race of the season.

Verstappen — Hamilton: A Sensational Announcement in F1

 

Will the new rules trigger a Mercedes comeback?

Rumours in the paddock suggest that Mercedes has done an exceptional job with the new generation of engines, which place a far greater emphasis on electrical power than ever before. This situation inevitably draws comparisons with 2014, when the introduction of V6 hybrid engines ushered in an era of unprecedented Mercedes dominance.

This supremacy was only broken in 2022 when ground-effect cars reshaped the competitive landscape, leaving Mercedes struggling to adapt. With the ground-effect era set to end in 2026, Mercedes see this as a golden opportunity to reset and reclaim their place at the top.

If their engine advantage is as significant as rumoured, Mercedes could once again set the benchmark for the entire grid.

Perez: “Red Bull Complained About Everything”: Teams’ Focus Became Verstappen Obsessive

 

Williams & McLaren are also watching closely

Any Mercedes resurgence could have significant knock-on effects, particularly for its customer teams. Williams and McLaren, who use Mercedes engines, are preparing for the new era with cautious optimism.

The Grove-based Williams team will unveil its new FW48 on 3 February, just one day after Mercedes presents the W17. Williams hopes that the regulation overhaul, combined with a strong power unit, will help it to continue its upward trajectory.

After years in the wilderness, Williams finished fifth in the Constructors’ Championship last season, a clear sign of recovery. The team now dreams of rediscovering at least some of its former glory as one of Formula 1’s most successful teams.

As January approaches, anticipation is building. Soon, we will find out whether the W17 truly signals a Mercedes revival or not.

MORE F1 NEWS – Pierre Gasly & Michael Schumacher: The ‘shocking’ image

 

 

NEXT ARTICLE – Ferrari’s 2 cars designed for 2026. More Maranello madness?

The six race run in which concluded the 2024 Formula One season did not quite have the excitement of 2025 where the drivers’ championship was decided at the final chequered flag of the season. Max Verstappen in fact claimed the 2024 title in Las Vegas with two race weekends remaining.

However in terms of the constructors’ championship, the 2024 run in was nail biting for McLaren who once held a 74 point lead over Ferrari as the sport embarked on its final two triple header six races.

Two wins together with six podiums from Austin to Abu Dhabi saw the Scuderia come within just 14 points of their first championship since 2008. Yet at the annual Ferrari festive bash, Fred Vasseur announced that their 2025 F1 challenger would be an entirely new car.

 

Ferrari strange decision in 2024

This was confusing for a number of reasons. Firstly the SF-24 finished the year the strongest, but the Scuderia designed a car for 2025 that was “99% new components.” The team switched their tried and tested front suspension from its push rod configuration to a pull rod design.

But this was the final year of a set of car design technical regulations and the remainder of the field were refining their 2024 challenger. The result? The decision was proven to be a huge mistake, as the Scuderia failed to win a single Grand Prix and claimed just seven podiums all thanks to Charles Leclerc.

Now La Gazzetta in Italy is reporting Ferrari have design two cars for 2026, one for early testing and the other for the opening round of the season in Australia. Of course teams historically have launched a car for testing and then refined it significantly before it first races in anger, but two cars to start the year?

Yet building two different cars before the tyre turns in anger seems a strange approach, yet the madness of Maranello means nothing can be ruled out from the mercurial F1 racers. “Fred Vasseur’s team will present itself to the pre-seasonal tests with different versions of the same car, to best test solutions and set-ups,” reports La Gazetta…READ MORE ON THIS STORY