Mercedes shows off a different look, inside and out, at the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.
With a new livery and a major upgrade package, Mercedes is going all-in for Formula 1's return to Malaysia. Mercedes' current challenger, the W17, will undergo aesthetics and performance updates for the 2026 F1 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.
It's not the team's home race, but this feels like a homecoming, as they're paying tribute to Petronas, their long-time title sponsor. The W17 will take on a dominant shade of green, more on the side of teal, to honor their title sponsor.
Petronas, a Malaysian state-owned oil and gas company, has been involved in F1 for a long time. Its F1 roots are connected with Sauber in the mid-90s. In 1999, Petronas became the title sponsor of the Malaysian Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit.
In 2010, Mercedes bought the Brawn GP franchise and brought in Petronas as their title partner. Beyond the title, Mercedes and Petronas also forged a technical partnership. The oil company developed specialized fluids, lubricants, and fuels for Mercedes' power unit and chassis.
That's why F1's return to Sepang is a big deal for Mercedes and Petronas. The special livery carries more meaning than a typical one-off sponsor design.
Wolff confirms upgrades at Sepang
And beyond the new teal livery, Mercedes is also bringing performance upgrades to Sepang. George Russell first hinted at it after he won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix last week, which was then confirmed by team principal Toto Wolff.
There's still no information as to the exact components that will receive the upgrades, but the W17 will be even more formidable at Malaysia. Mercedes has won the last three races, with Kimi Antonelli winning at Monza and Madrid, and Russell recently dominating on the streets of Baku.
Mercedes also has one hand on the Constructors' Title already, as they lead the championship by 160 points over Ferrari.
Can the two Mercedes drivers keep it clean?
After back-to-back wins by Antonelli, it seemed like Russell was down in the dirt without any hope of bouncing back in the championship. But Antonelli binned his car during qualifying at Baku, and Russell immediately took advantage with a pole position on Friday and a race win on Saturday.
Russell is still trailing the championship by 66 points, but the chase is officially on now. Another win would get the British driver into a groove. More importantly, he'll be putting pressure on his younger teammate.
With the upgrades, it's safe to say that Mercedes are the favorites to win at Sepang. But which Mercedes car is it? That's the most important question.
