The countdown is officially on to the 2026 season getting underway, with several key dates already earmarked for launches and testing during the pre-season.<\/p>\n
A number of teams have announced when they will hold their respective launch events ahead of the campaign, while there will be three tests \u2013 held across two locations \u2013 prior to the first race on the calendar taking place.<\/p>\n
Read on to find out everything you need to know about the important 2026 pre-season dates\u2026<\/p>\n
January 15 \u2013 Red Bull\/Racing Bulls launch<\/p>\n
The first to announce their launch plans for 2026, the Red Bull<\/a> and Racing Bulls<\/a> outfits are set to team up \u2013 alongside Ford \u2013 to reveal their respective liveries in a joint event<\/a>.<\/p>\n Ahead of Red Bull Ford Powertrains\u2019 debut season as a power unit manufacturer for both teams, the launch will take place at the United States home of Ford in Detroit, Michigan, on January 15.<\/p>\n January 20 \u2013 Audi launch<\/p>\n Audi<\/a> have confirmed that they will host their launch in Berlin on January 20<\/a>, marking the manufacturer\u2019s debut season after taking over the Kick Sauber outfit.<\/p>\n The squad will present their full race livery before holding a public opening on the following day, allowing fans to experience the unique occasion after they revealed an early concept livery<\/a> in November, featuring titanium, carbon black and Audi red as the predominant colours.<\/p>\n January 20 \u2013 Honda power unit launch<\/p>\n Also taking place on January 20 is the launch of Honda\u2019s new power unit<\/a>, ahead of the manufacturer partnering exclusively with Aston Martin in 2026.<\/p>\n The event, which will be livestreamed to fans on YouTube, is being held in Tokyo and will feature talks from Toshihiro Mibe, President and CEO of Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Lawrence Stroll, Executive Chairman of Aston Martin, and Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1.<\/p>\n January 22 \u2013 Mercedes unveil renders of the W17<\/p>\n One of two dates in the diary for Mercedes, the Silver Arrows will offer up an initial first look<\/a> at their 2026 challenger when they release renders on January 22 across their digital channels.<\/p>\n That first glimpse of the Mercedes-AMG F1 W17 E PERFORMANCE comes just before private pre-season testing in Barcelona, with a dedicated season launch show to follow on Monday, February 2.<\/p>\n January 23 \u2013 Alpine launch<\/p>\n Alpine<\/a> shared the news via social media that their launch will be held in Barcelona on January 23<\/a>, just a few days before the private pre-season test gets underway.<\/p>\n The Enstone-based outfit did not share further details about the nature of their event, but added the caption: \u201cWe’ve got something to show you…\u201d<\/p>\n January 23 \u2013 Haas livery reveal<\/p>\n In what will be a busy day for F1 launches, Haas<\/a> are also set to unveil their 2026 livery on January 23.<\/p>\n The American squad have confirmed that they will reveal their challenger for the new campaign online.<\/p>\n January 23 \u2013 Ferrari launch<\/p>\n Also launching on January 23 are Ferrari<\/a>, with boss Fred Vasseur confirming the team’s launch date<\/a> during his annual Christmas end-of-season press conference at Fiorano, Italy.<\/p>\n Further details have not yet been revealed about the event.<\/p>\n January 26-30 \u2013 Private pre-season test<\/p>\n Ahead of a season that will feature a wave of new technical regulations<\/a>, three tests will take place before the 2026 season begins.<\/p>\n The first of these will be held privately at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya across five days, starting on January 26 and ending on January 30.<\/p>\n February 2 \u2013 Mercedes launch<\/p>\n Following on from that first look on January 22, Mercedes will hold a dedicated 2026 digital season launch show on February 2.<\/p>\n The season launch \u2013 which will be streamed via Mercedes\u2019 social media pages \u2013 is set to feature Silver Arrows CEO and Team Principal Toto Wolff, continuing drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, as well as insight on the sweeping technical changes from senior team members.<\/p>\n February 3 \u2013 Williams livery reveal<\/p>\n On February 3, Williams<\/a> will unveil the livery for their 2026 challenger \u2013 the FW48 \u2013 with the team describing it as a “striking” new look.<\/p>\n The team go into 2026 with plenty of momentum after their fifth-placed finish in 2025, with Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz again their driver pairing.<\/p>\n February 9 \u2013 Aston Martin launch<\/p>\n The AMR26 \u2013 Aston Martin<\/a>\u2019s 2026 challenger \u2013 will be launched on February 9, the team confirmed in December<\/a>.<\/p>\n While the British outfit did not reveal further details of the unveiling, the news was announced via a social media post showing a pencil drawing the name of the car, perhaps as a nod to designer Adrian Newey becoming Team Principal as of next season.<\/p>\n February 11-13 \u2013 Second pre-season test<\/p>\n The second run of pre-season testing will see the drivers and teams head to the Bahrain International Circuit between February 11-13.<\/p>\n This test will be slightly shorter than the first, spanning three days.<\/p>\n February 18-20 \u2013 Third pre-season test<\/p>\n A third and final pre-season test follows from February 18-20, again taking place at the Bahrain International Circuit.<\/p>\n This will offer the teams a final chance to finetune their cars before the season officially gets underway.<\/p>\n March 6-8 \u2013 Australian Grand Prix<\/p>\n