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F1 2026 car launch dates: What you need to know
What we know about the 2026 F1 launch events so far
Lydia Mee
Edited: Jan 9, 2026, 6:29 PM
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F1 2026 car renders
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The 2026 Formula 1 season is already creeping up on us with car launches set for as early as 15 January.
While McLaren is yet to confirm their reveal dates, all other teams have announced when fans will be able to see their 2026 designs ahead of the season.
Red Bull and Racing Bulls are set to kick off the launches on 15 January with an event in Detroit, Michigan, and Aston Martin and McLaren will close out the launches with their own events on 9 February.
2026 will bring in a new wave of regulations to the championship as well as the addition of brand-new team Cadillac, while Audi will take over Sauber.
This is what we know about the launch events so far.
15 January: Red Bull, Racing Bulls
Location: Detroit, Michigan
Red Bull and Racing Bulls will unveil their 2026 liveries at a joint event with Ford, which will mark the start of Red Bull Powertrains in collaboration with the American marque.
"The launch of the Red Bull Ford Powertrains era represents not only a bold step into the future, but a powerful expression of what’s possible when world-class engineering, innovation, and passion come together," Red Bull Racing CEO and team principal Laurent Mekies said.
"To see the energy, precision, and scale behind this project is inspiring. It’s the culmination of several years of collaboration between two great names in motorsport. We’re incredibly excited to begin this new chapter, driven by the same determination and excellence that defines both Ford and Red Bull."
19 January: Haas
Location: N/A
While Haas had originally planned to release the livery of its 2026 F1 challenger, the VF-26 on 23 January, it rearranged the release to avoid clashing with Alpine and Ferrari, which have also scheduled their releases for the 23 January. The American outfit will now release digital renders and videos of the livery, which will be the first with its new title sponsor, Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR), on social media on 19 January.
20 January: Audi, Honda engine
Audi
Location: Berlin
Audi will take over Sauber in 2026. The German outfit will be holding a "global launch" event in Berlin to kick off the season and unveil the 2026 livery.
Honda engine
Location: Tokyo
Honda is set to hold its own power unit launch on 20 January in Tokyo, separate from Aston Martin. The Japanese manufacturer begins an exclusive partnership with the Silverstone squad after parting ways with Red Bull at the end of 2025.
22 January: Mercedes
Mercedes is set to unveil the livery of the W17 on 22 January via a social media release before private testing takes place the following week. The team will be holding a separate launch event - scroll down to see more information.
23 January: Alpine, Ferrari
Alpine
Location: Barcelona
Alpine will unveil its 2026 F1 livery on 23 January during an event in Barcelona. The 2026 season not only marks the introduction of the new regulations but also the start of the French team's power unit partnership with Mercedes.
Ferrari
Location: TBC
Ferrari will unveil its 2026 livery on 23 January. While a location has not been confirmed yet, the Maranello outfit usually holds a live event at its historic home track.
"We will finish the assembly of the car the day before the launch, the launch will be January 23, which means we will finish the car on the 22nd, and this is to be aggressive," Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur said.
"But everybody will do the same, now we have a convergence in the approach of the season, and everybody will do the same."
2 February: Mercedes
After revealing the W17 livery on 22 January, Mercedes will host a launch event on 2 February. Fans will be able to watch live as the event will be streamed online. Drivers George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli will be present along with Mercedes CEO and team principal Toto Wolff.
3 February: Williams
Location: TBC
Williams has confirmed that it will unveil the livery of the FW48 on 3 February. We are yet to find out if this will be via a release on social media or a live event with drivers Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz alongside team principal James Vowles. The Grove outfit will also begin the season with a fan-voted livery.
8 February: Cadillac
Location: California
Cadillac, which is joining the F1 grid as the 11th team, is going big for its first livery reveal. The American team will launch the livery in a TV advert during the Super Bowl at Levi's Stadium on 8 February.
9 February: Aston Martin
Aston Martin has confirmed that it will unveil the AMR26 on 9 February. The 2026 car will be the first designed by Adrian Newey for the Lawrence Stroll-owned outfit. While the location of the event is yet to be confirmed, the team usually opts to host it at its Silverstone headquarters with drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll in attendance.
9 February: McLaren
McLaren will launch its 2026 F1 car on the same day as Aston Martin, but in Bahrain on a live stream at 3pm GMT.
The defending F1 world champions will present both drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, plus team bosses Zak Brown and Andrea Stella at the launch, where it will unveil its new livery.
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