Mercedes has confirmed a logo update for the 2026 Formula 1 season, announced via social media on January 1, 2026 with a nine-second video accompanied by the caption “Wake up. New logo just dropped”. The modification centers on the treatment of the iconic three-pointed star emblem, which previously featured a three-dimensional appearance with depth and shadow effects commonly associated with the Silver Arrows branding. The revised logo presents the star as a flat white silhouette without dimensional rendering, while the accompanying text reading “AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team” maintains the teal color associated with title sponsor Petronas and retains the existing typeface.
The structural layout of the logo has been adjusted to position the three-pointed star above the team name text, replacing the previous side-by-side horizontal arrangement where the star appeared alongside the wording. The font used for both the Petronas and Formula 1 Team portions of the text has been updated, though the overall visual hierarchy and color palette remains consistent with previous seasons. The change represents a shift toward simplified graphic design principles, removing gradients and shadow effects in favor of a minimalist aesthetic.
Mercedes has not released a statement explaining the rationale behind the logo modification or whether the flat white treatment of the star indicates changes to the team’s livery color scheme for 2026. The team’s color scheme has undergone frequent adjustments across recent seasons, switching from silver to a predominantly black livery in 2020 during global anti-racism protests, reverting to silver in 2022, returning to black for 2023, and running a silver-black fusion design for both 2024 and 2025. The new logo suggests that black, white, and Petronas teal will feature in the 2026 livery, but Mercedes has not confirmed the W17 car launch date or provided preview images of the actual racing car.
The 2026 season represents the start of a new technical regulation cycle that introduces 50 percent electrification of the power unit, fully sustainable fuels, and active aerodynamic systems. Mercedes enters this era with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli confirmed as the driver lineup, with Russell having secured a contract extension after negotiations earlier in 2025 and Antonelli continuing in his second season after replacing Lewis Hamilton, who transferred to Ferrari at the end of 2024. Russell has secured five race victories during his four seasons as a full-time Mercedes driver from 2022 through 2025, with two of those wins occurring in the 2025 season. The team finished second in the 2025 constructors’ championship behind McLaren after struggling throughout the ground effect era that began in 2022, ending their streak of eight consecutive constructors’ titles from 2014 to 2021.
Mercedes and Red Bull Powertrains are both reported to have identified an interpretation of the 2026 engine regulations related to compression ratios that could provide a performance advantage. The technical regulations specify a 16:1 compression ratio when measured at ambient temperature, but certain engine materials expand under operating heat, effectively increasing the compression ratio during actual running conditions without violating the cold measurement requirement. The FIA has reportedly approved the combustion chamber designs from both manufacturers, and the potential performance gain is estimated at approximately ten horsepower, translating to three or four tenths of a second per lap depending on circuit characteristics. Ferrari is not believed to be pursuing a similar approach for its 2026 power unit.
The pre-season testing schedule begins with a behind-closed-doors test at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya from January 26 to 30, followed by two official pre-season tests at Bahrain International Circuit from February 11 to 13 and February 18 to 20. Mercedes has not joined Red Bull, Racing Bulls, Audi, Ferrari, Alpine, and Haas in confirming a specific car launch date, with McLaren and Williams also yet to announce their W17 reveal plans. Red Bull and Racing Bulls will conduct a joint season launch event in Detroit, Michigan on January 15, while Ferrari, Alpine, and Haas have all scheduled reveals for January 23 in Barcelona ahead of the first pre-season test.
