When will we see the 2026 Formula 1 cars?

Hype is already building ahead of an exciting 2026 Formula 1 season. Many fans will be counting the days, so how long until each team unveils this year’s challenger? With the likes of Audi, Cadillac, and Ford (with Red Bull) joining the fray and the FIA making sweeping rule changes, there’s no telling who will come out on top. This unpredictability is a tantalizing prospect for fans, but it leaves teams in a race against time to get ready for Melbourne. We’ve already seen Audi’s R26 in a shakedown, at least an early iteration of it. Honda has also teased us with a note from next season’s Aston Martin engine, while Cadillac has revealed a special edition livery for testing in Barcelona from January 26-30. When will we learn more? That depends on the outfit. After last year’s joint livery launch event, each team is once again going their own separate way. Here’s our team-by-team rundown, with a bit of analysis on what to expect from the coming year.Red Bull & Racing Bulls – January 15, 2026In the style of their star driver Max Verstappen, Red Bull has taken a no-nonsense approach to car launches in recent years. It’s incredibly unlikely that we’ll see any big changes on the livery front. Racing Bulls went with a surprisingly creative paint job on the VCARB01, but you’d think more of a performance focus this time out.Though McLaren had a pace advantage for the last 18 months, Red Bull were right with them at times. Despite all the unrest, Verstappen has also stayed. This reflects his continued faith in the team. New boss Laurent Mekies did a very good job in the second half of last season, so it’d be a big shock if they weren’t a frontrunner.Switching to Ford engines is probably the biggest potential spanner in the works. Both Red Bull’s teams will need Ford to hit the ground running on their return to Formula 1 if they’re going to be competitive this year. All eyes will be on pre-season testing to see how they run.Haas – January 19, 2026Next up, we’ve got Haas. While Red Bull is serenading their new car into existence, putting a live show on in Detroit (the traditional home of Ford), Haas is doing a simple online launch.Like much of the grid, Haas has stuck with its driver lineup for 2026. Consistent, reliable data capture will be key during the initial phases of testing, so it makes sense. But there are bigger questions over performance. Historically, the Maranello-based team’s competitiveness has mirrored that of Ferrari—and as the Tifosi will tell you, their form is wildly unpredictable. There are also question marks over the outfit’s livery. Toyota Gazoo Racing, which has been hugely successful in WRC, WEC, and IMSA, is taking over as title sponsor. So, there’s likely to be a big splash of Toyota on the new Haas. It could be a beauty! Audi – January 20, 2026Fresh off the back of a successful filming day, Audi will launch a day later. The automotive giant has teased us with several eye-catching mock-ups in recent months, suggesting that their livery will be a mixture of titanium silver, carbon black, and a splash of red. If the final version is anything like the renders, it’ll be a looker on the track, that’s for sure.Whether it’s fast or not is really up in the air. On the one hand, Audi had the advantage of running Sauber from behind the scenes before rebranding for 2026. So, it’s not facing a standing start—at least not to the same extent as fellow newcomer Cadillac. Stalwart Nico Hulkenberg’s presence will also be a calming influence as the team enters a new era. The building blocks are there, but they require some assembly.While Audi launches in Berlin, Honda will be unveiling their engine in Tokyo. It’s not a car launch as such, but it’ll be something for Formula 1 fans to get their teeth into in the off-season.Ferrari – January 23, 2026When Ferrari launched the F1-75 after the last major rule change in 2022, it was a real head-turner. In the opening races it even looked like a title challenger.

Okay, the prancing horse didn’t manage to keep up in the development race, but it did bolt out of the gates.

A repeat performance at pre-season testing in 2026 would be most welcome. Ferrari will unveil their livery at the factory before shaking it down at Fiorano.The Tifosi usually gather to see their new challenger do a few laps at Ferrari’s private test track in Fiorano.Alpine – January 23, 2026Curiously, Alpine has opted to launch on the same day as Ferrari in Barcelona. Perhaps it also wants to stay low-key after an extremely difficult run at the back of the field. Formula 1‘s rule changes offer the French outfit a golden opportunity to turn over a new leaf and start afresh. Powered by Mercedes engines, it’s no longer likely to be saddled with a horsepower deficit. That’s one hurdle cleared!
That said, it’s hard to predict how Alpine will perform—or what it’ll do with its livery. They’ve been beaten red, white, and blue in recent years. But Pierre Gasly has been upbeat about his chances. Who knows? Stranger things have happened than an Alpine title tilt. And personally, I viewed its 2021 livery as a symphony in royal blue.Mercedes – February 2, 2026Mercedes is teasing an “image reveal” on January 22, but we’re saying it doesn’t count as a full launch. The Silver Arrows kick off their season in full nearly two weeks later.Like with Alpine, Mercedes’ chances are super difficult to judge right now. Some in the pit lane are tipping the team as early frontrunners due to rumors of a strong powertrain. This turned out to be true in 2014, leading to complete domination. On the flipside, a massive design gamble backfired in 2022, and Merc never really recovered.In the absence of Lewis Hamilton, the traditional Silver returned to Mercedes color scheme last season. It’ll almost certainly be the same this time out. Although, we did see a splash of red on the W15, maybe some exposed carbon fiber to save weight. That will be limited by the new livery rules.Williams – February 3, 2026Williams improved massively last year, even if after ceasing development relatively early on in the season.After so many years in the Formula 1 doldrums, the team’s rejuvenation has raised hopes of another strong campaign in 2026. In Alex Albon, Carlos Sainz, and James Vowles, Williams definitely has the personnel to succeed. But there are no guarantees, especially when we’re heading into unknown territory next season.

What fans can rely on, is the team’s merch being absolute fire! We’ve already seen some retro gear harking back to the team’s glory years. A similar livery would be most welcome.

Cadillac – February 8, 2026 Cadillac will debut its first-ever Formula 1 car in the most American way possible: during the Super Bowl halftime show. Some long-term fans will be head in hands over the sheer American-ness of the move. But it’ll be exciting to see how this new team finds its feet.If Cadillac’s GM-inspired test livery is anything to go by, its car will also be a beauty. In terms of the season ahead, the team has been wise to pick two old heads, Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas, as its drivers. Even if things don’t go to plan straight away, they’ll have plenty of know-how in the cockpit, which will be key to understanding where they can improve.Aston Martin – February 9, 2026 To put it mildly, 2026 is a colossal year for Aston Martin. Lawrence Stroll has ploughed cash into the team’s R&D facilities, Adrian Newey has been drafted in, and Honda has developed an exclusive new power unit—not long after dominating Formula 1 with Red Bull.Time is also ticking on Fernando Alonso’s racing career. Somehow the Spaniard still seems capable of pulling out performances at 44 years old. But he needs almost everything to come together this season if he’s going to have one final shot at a third-world drivers’ title.

All the other elements of the launch aren’t particularly surprising. The location is TBA, the car will be green, and the Stroll Jr. will remain behind the wheel.

McLaren – February 9, 2026 Last season’s world champions will go joint last in the launch calendar. It’ll be fascinating to see if the Woking outfit poured all its resources into winning in 2025, or if it managed to keep enough in reserve for a full 2026 development program. With the first pre-season testing being held in public just two days later, McLaren is also waiting until the very last moment. Arguably, that’s fair play. Why wouldn’t you keep competitors waiting? But we likely won’t see the final spec cars until they hit the track in Bahrain.

As much as I’d love to see a return to the chrome McLarens of old, the car will almost certainly be launched in papaya colors. Whether or not Papaya Rules will be the main talking point again in 2026, we’ll find out in just over a month’s time!

Which 2026 Formula 1 car are you looking forward to seeing most?