Mercedes-AMG_F1_W17_E_PERFORMANCE_-_GR_6

Photo: Mercedes AMG F1 Team

First look: Mercedes unveil striking W17 livery as 2026 season looms

10:03, 22 Jan

Updated: 10:27, 22 Jan

byTobia Elia

Mercedes have unveiled the livery and the first outlines of the W17, the car George Russell and Kimi Antonelli will race next season.

Following Red Bull, Racing Bulls and Audi, the Brackley-based team also pulled the covers off its new challenger on Thursday, marking the start of the new regulatory cycle.

After four seasons in which it failed to truly shine in the ground-effect era, Mercedes now have a major opportunity to reset under the upcoming regulations, with the W17 long touted as one of the cars to watch.

For months, Mercedes have been tipped as one of the early favourites heading into the new season — speculation that has only intensified since the emergence of the much-talked-about compression-ratio trick on the new power unit, which is rumored to deliver a significant horsepower advantage over the competition and, crucially, lap time.

Mercedes-AMG_F1_W17_E_PERFORMANCE_-_KA_3

Photo: Mercedes AMG F1 Team

While the final version will look very different from what was shown in the very first images, the Brackley outfit’s new car already offers an initial glimpse of what’s to come, with the livery itself also featuring a few changes compared to last season.

The colour scheme naturally remains dominated by silver, intersected by the familiar turquoise Petronas stripes, but with more black on show compared to last season’s car. Added to that is the Microsoft logo on the engine cover, following the recent announcement of the deal with the US tech giant. The sidepods also feature more detailing, with four black stripes running across the upper section.

Mercedes will head to Spain for the Barcelona shakedown next week (26–30 January), marking the first of three test sessions scheduled to prepare for the upcoming season.

Below is the full gallery of the new W17.

Photo: Mercedes AMG F1 Team

Photo: Mercedes AMG F1 Team

Photo: Mercedes AMG F1 Team

Photo: Mercedes AMG F1 Team

GPblog's latest F1 Paddock Update

Want to stay up-to-date with what happens in the F1 paddock? Then GPblog's F1 Paddock Update video is the perfect way to do it. Subscribe to GPblog's YouTube channel and turn on notifications to never miss the latest episodes.