Mercedes unveil F1 car for 2026 rules era
Mercedes have unveiled the Formula 1 car they believe can propel the team back to the front of the grid under the sport’s new regulations for 2026.
The team dominated Formula 1 between 2014 and 2021, winning eight consecutive constructors’ championships and seven drivers’ titles. However, Mercedes struggled to maintain that level of success during the 2022–25 rules cycle and are hopeful that the latest regulatory reset will work in their favor, News.Az reports, citing BBC Sport.
With new chassis and engine regulations coming into force, Mercedes are widely regarded as early favorites for the upcoming season. The driver lineup remains unchanged, with Britain’s George Russell — who finished fourth last season and was the only driver outside McLaren and Red Bull to claim a race win — partnering Italian rookie Kimi Antonelli.
Rival teams have expressed concerns that Mercedes, along with Red Bull’s newly formed powertrains division, may have identified a loophole in the regulations that could allow engines to run at a higher compression ratio than officially specified.
This is set at 16:1 but rules stipulate it will be measured at ambient temperature. A meeting between the teams and governing body the FIA on Thursday will discuss concerns that Mercedes and Red Bull have found ways for the compression ratio to increase at higher temperatures, which would increase power output.
Red Bull engine boss Ben Hodgkinson said last week: "Any engineer that doesn't understand about thermal expansion doesn't belong in this sport, doesn't deserves to be an engineer, really. Understanding how materials behave in different temperatures, pressures, stresses, loads, that's literally our job."
The new Mercedes W17 has been designed to optimise what is widely regarded as the biggest regulation change in history, with new cars, engines, and tyres and the mandating of fully sustainable fuel.
Digital images of the car were released on Thursday before it is due to run on track for the first time at Silverstone later in the day.
Along with the other 10 teams, Mercedes are then heading to the first pre-season test, which is being held behind closed doors with no independent media allowed at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya next week. Teams are allowed to run on a maximum of three of the five days of the test.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said: "Formula 1 will undergo significant change in 2026, and we are prepared for that transition.
"The new regulations demand innovation and absolute focus across every area of performance. Our work on the new car, and the long-term development of the power-unit and advanced sustainable fuels, reflects that approach."
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