The 2026 Formula One season is quietly approaching, and new car launches will be held as early as January 15.
While McLaren has yet to confirm its release date, all other teams have announced when fans will be able to see their 2026 designs ahead of the season.
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Red Bull and Racing Bull are set to kick off the launch event with an event in Detroit, Michigan on January 15th, with Aston Martin currently set to wrap up its launch event on February 9th.
In 2026, the championship will usher in a new wave of rules, with the addition of the new team Cadillac, and Audi will take over the Sauber team.
Here’s what we know about the launch event so far.
January 15: Red Bulls, Bulls
Location: Detroit, Michigan
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Red Bull and Racing will launch the 2026 livery in a joint event with Ford, which will mark the start of Red Bull Powertrain’s partnership with the American brand.
Laurent Mekies, CEO and team principal of Red Bull Racing, said: “The launch of the Red Bull Ford Powertrain Era not only represents a bold step into the future, but is a powerful demonstration of what is possible when world-class engineering, innovation and passion are combined.”
“It is inspiring to see the energy, precision and scale behind this project. It is the culmination of many years of collaboration between two great figures in motorsport. We are extremely excited to start this new chapter, driven by the same determination and excellence at Ford and Red Bull.”
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January 20: Audi, Honda engines
Audi
Location: Berlin
Audi will take over Sauber in 2026. The German company will host a “global launch” event in Berlin to kick off the season and reveal the 2026 livery.
honda engine
Location: Tokyo
Honda will hold its own power unit launch event in Tokyo on January 20, separate from Aston Martin. The Japanese manufacturer has begun an exclusive partnership with Silverstone after parting ways with Red Bull at the end of 2025.
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January 22: Mercedes
Mercedes will release the W17 livery via social media on January 22, ahead of private testing the following week. The team will hold a separate launch event – scroll down for more information.
alps
Location: Barcelona
Alpine will reveal its 2026 F1 livery at an event in Barcelona on January 23. The 2026 season not only marks the introduction of new rules, but also marks the beginning of the French team’s cooperation with Mercedes power units.
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ferrari
Location: TBD
Ferrari will launch its 2026 livery on January 23rd. While the exact location has yet to be confirmed, the Maranello team usually hosts live events at its historic home track.
“We will finish the car’s assembly the day before the launch, which is January 23rd, which means we will have the car finished on the 22nd, which is aggressive,” said Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur.
“But everyone is going to do the same thing and now that we’ve converged as the season approaches, everyone is going to do the same thing.”
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Haas
Location: N/A
Haas will unveil its 2026 F1 livery on the same day as Alpine and Ferrari, but the American company will reveal its designs online rather than at a live event.
February 2: Mercedes
Following the unveiling of the W17 livery on January 22, Mercedes will hold a launch event on February 2. Fans will be able to watch live as the event will be streamed online. Drivers George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli will be in attendance, along with Mercedes CEO and team principal Toto Wolff.
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February 3: Williams
Location: TBD
Williams confirmed that the livery of the FW48 will be revealed on February 3rd. We’ve yet to confirm whether this will be announced via social media or a live event with drivers Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz and team principal James Vowles. The Grove will also begin the season with fan-voted uniforms.
February 8: Cadillac
Location: California
Cadillac joined the F1 team as the 11th team, and its debut livery made a splash. Team USA will use the uniforms in television commercials during the Super Bowl on February 8 at Levi’s Stadium.
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February 9: Aston Martin
Aston Martin has confirmed it will launch the AMR26 on February 9th. The 2026 car will be the first designed by Adrian Newey for the Lawrence Stroll-owned company. Although the venue of the event has not yet been confirmed, the team usually chooses to hold it at its Silverstone headquarters, with drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll in attendance.
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