A first look at the W17 was released on January 22 on social media. The release gave fans a tease ahead of Barcelona Shakedown week which concluded just last Friday. 

The new livery depicts a new take on their typical design. The car features their typical black, silver, and teal palette, with some new design elements. The livery also features the team's usual two red Mercedes logos, added to honor the late Niki Lauda, who played a significant role in signing Lewis Hamilton to the team in 2013, which led to years of success.

The W17, like all other cars, is smaller, lighter, and narrower than it has been in recent years amid the implementation of the new regulations. Toto Wolff, Mercedes Team Principal and CEO, notes that F1 will change significantly in 2026, but also says that “we are prepared for that transition.” Wolff also mentions how the new regulations are requiring new innovation and focus in every area for there to be success.

In the launch event Wolff highlights the engineering team and the effort they have put in over the past few years ahead of the changes for 2026. He mentions their “Navy Seal Team” which was their small team that focused on keeping the 2025 car competitive while the rest of the engineering team was working full force for 2026. This really goes to show the amount of careful, advanced planning that goes into building an F1 car.

Hywel Thomas, Managing Director of the team, discusses the major changes to the power unit. He specifically notes that “the electrical and combustion engine are about 50/50 because we’ve reduced the fuel flow to the combustion engine,” which plays a role in F1’s attempt to become more sustainable. Datuk Sazali Hamzah, Executive Vice President and CEO, Downstream, PETRONAS, discusses the new Advanced Sustainable Fuel, which replaces the previous fossil-fuel-based fuel.

Toto Wolff, when asked about Shakedown Week, says “the highlight was the reliability of the Power Unit in the car.” With the new regulations came new rules with the power unit, and that is a major component of the car, so Mercedes having minimal issue with it in the first round of testing is really promising for the team.

When it comes to the times his drivers were setting, Wolff says it is hard to interpret them at this point because not all teams have run test laps under the same conditions. It is also hard to compare times in testing because the cars can change so much from Shakedown week to Bahrain testing, to the first race in Australia.

Mercedes driver George Russell talks about just how fast the car has been in testing, specifically mentioning the new Boost Button, the replacement for DRS, and how the car flies in boost mode. He also talks about how the cars are more enjoyable to drive now that they are lighter and more nimble, and that he hopes to produce good results in the upcoming season. Kimi Antonelli mentions the differences in driving the car and describes it as being “nicer” than last year’s and that it has been “fun to drive.”  

The whole team is excited to get more time with cars on track in the upcoming weeks with Bahrain Preseason Testing and are excited to see how the season plays out.