We all know by now that the F1 2026 season will bring about the biggest combined regulation changes in the sport\u2019s history, but here is what we know about what the cars will be called.<\/p>\n
All-new power unit and chassis regulations will be coming into play at the same time by the time the cars roll out for pre-season testing, each with its own chassis name and identity. Let\u2019s take a look.<\/p>\n
Alpine: A526<\/p>\n
Alpine confirmed just before Christmas that it would follow its naming convention of years gone by with a social media announcement that its 2026 challenger will be called the A526.<\/p>\n
It represents a combination of the Alpine F1 project\u2019s codename (A500), plus the year (\u201926), in this instance.<\/p>\n
Aston Martin: AMR26<\/p>\n
The first Aston Martin to have had its design led by new team principal, Adrian Newey, is set to be unveiled officially on February 9th, with the name AMR26.<\/p>\n
A simple naming convention of the initials of Aston Martin Racing followed by the year, which the team has used since its arrival on the grid.<\/p>\n
Audi: To be confirmed<\/p>\n
The first big question mark.<\/p>\n
Audi revealed a concept livery of next season\u2019s car, which will be the first as an Audi factory team after its takeover of Sauber, which was named the R26. Will this carry over into next season, however?<\/p>\n
The R26 as a name has history in Formula 1, too, as it was on the chassis of the Renault which powered Fernando Alonso to title glory in 2006.<\/p>\n
More key information as we look ahead to F1 2026<\/p>\n
F1 driver numbers: Which numbers will the drivers be using in 2026 and why?<\/a><\/p>\n MOM is out and Boost Mode in as key F1 2026 terms defined<\/a><\/p>\n Cadillac: TBC<\/p>\n A new team brings with it intrigue about what it will call its first car.<\/p>\n Cadillac will be launching its first challenger by unusual means, airing an advert during the Super Bowl in front of a captive US audience to show off its first livery, though the name is as-yet unconfirmed.<\/p>\n Ferrari: TBC<\/p>\n Ferrari has been very\u2026 well, un-Ferrari in recent years, by having kept a consistent chassis naming convention over the course of the last few seasons.<\/p>\n The Scuderia has tended to change its car\u2019s name from year to year, such as the SF70H in 2017, marking Ferrari\u2019s 70th year as a manufacturer, to the SF90 in 2019, to the SF1000 in 2020 and the F1-75 in 2022, but the last three seasons have been using SF along with the year.<\/p>\n Ferrari has set a save the date for January 23rd, so we\u2019ll soon find out what its 2026 challenger will be called.<\/p>\n Haas: VF-26<\/p>\n Haas has confirmed it will keep its now decade-long naming structure on its 2026 car, calling it the VF-26.<\/p>\n Team owner Gene Haas rolled his early days in business into Formula 1,\u00a0with Haas Automation making its first CNC [computer numerical control] machine in 1988, which was named the VF-1 \u2013 or, unofficially, the \u2018Very First One\u2019.<\/p>\n That was kept into Formula 1 when VF-1 its VF-16 arrived on the grid in 2016, which has been kept ever since.<\/p>\n McLaren: MCL40 [expected]<\/p>\n McLaren\u2019s naming convention goes back for some time now, with the team having switched to the MCL chassis name in 2017 after Ron Dennis\u2019 departure from the company \u2013 with the team having used a chassis prefix \u2013 MP4 \u2013 up to that point.<\/p>\n That car was the MCL32, with the cars having gone up one in the subsequent years apart 2023, where the MCL60 marked 60 years since Bruce McLaren founded the team.<\/p>\n This convention is expected to be followed again in 2026, which would make its next car the MCL40.<\/p>\n Mercedes: W17 [expected]<\/p>\n While no name has officially been given by the team, it is widely expected the 2026 Mercedes will be called the W17.<\/p>\n The W stands for \u2018wagen\u2019, or \u2018car\u2019 in German, with its history stretching all the way back to Mercedes powering Juan Manuel Fangio to title victory in the all-conquering W196R in 1954 and \u201955. Interestingly, that car is also the most valuable Formula 1 car ever sold at auction<\/a>, with its\u00a0Stromlinienwagen, or \u2018Streamliner\u2019 specification, having sold for an enormous \u00a342.7m at auction in 2025.<\/p>\n Back in the here and now, Mercedes picked up the chassis name again when it rejoined the sport in 2010 with the W01, which it has used ever since.<\/p>\n Racing Bulls: VCARB 03 [expected]<\/p>\n Much like Mercedes, while no name has been revealed for Racing Bulls\u2019 2026 car at time of writing, it is widely expected to be the VCARB 03.<\/p>\n Simply, this is the initials of the team, and the third car it will have produced in this guise. Nice and easy.<\/p>\n Red Bull: RB22<\/p>\n Much like its sister team, Red Bull has kept its naming conventions straightforward since its arrival on the grid two decades ago.<\/p>\n Starting with the RB1, it has gone up every year \u2013 with one exception. The team\u2019s 2021 challenger, expected to be called the RB17, was the RB16B instead, with Formula 1\u2019s regulations evolving, before going back to its convention with the RB18 in 2022.<\/p>\n The RB17 does exist, though, with Adrian Newey having pencilled the design of the team\u2019s high-performance hypercar.<\/p>\n Red Bull has confirmed it will be the RB22 to be driven by Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar in 2026.<\/p>\n Williams: FW48<\/p>\n Having started as a customer team, Williams\u2019 first car run independently was the FW06, taking the initials of its team founder, Frank Williams.<\/p>\n While the team has sometimes added B or C to the end of its names to denote updated specifications, Williams\u2019 2026 challenger will be the FW48.<\/p>\n