F1 2026 car launch dates: What you need to know

The 2026 Formula 1 season is already creeping up on us with team and car launches set for as early as 15 January.

All the teams have announced when fans will be able to see their 2026 designs ahead of the season.

Red Bull and Racing Bulls are set to kick off the launches on 15 January with an event in Detroit, and Aston Martin and McLaren will close out the launches with their own events on 9 February.

2026 will bring in a new wave of regulations to the championship as well as the addition of brand-new team Cadillac, while Audi will take over Sauber.

This is what we know about the launch events so far.

F1 2026 team launch dates

15 January: Red Bull, Racing Bulls

Location: Detroit

Red Bull and Racing Bulls will unveil their 2026 liveries at a joint event with Ford, which will mark the start of Red Bull Powertrains in collaboration with the American marque.

"The launch of the Red Bull Ford Powertrains era represents not only a bold step into the future, but a powerful expression of what’s possible when world-class engineering, innovation, and passion come together," Red Bull CEO and team principal Laurent Mekies said.

"To see the energy, precision, and scale behind this project is inspiring. It’s the culmination of several years of collaboration between two great names in motorsport. We’re incredibly excited to begin this new chapter, driven by the same determination and excellence that defines both Ford and Red Bull."

19 January: Haas

Location: Online

Haas was initially due to unveil its 2026 F1 livery on 23 January, but since announcing it, Alpine and Ferrari both confirmed that they had also chosen that date. So, “to avoid over-congestion of team launches”, Haas will now release its livery on 19 January. This will be done online rather than as a live event. 

20 January: Audi

Audi

Location: Berlin

Audi will take over Sauber in 2026. The German outfit will be holding a "global launch" event in Berlin to kick off the season and unveil the 2026 livery.

Audi F1 Team RS26 concept livery

Photo by: Audi Sport

20 January: Honda engine

Honda engine

Location: Tokyo

Honda is set to hold its own power unit launch on 20 January in Tokyo, separate from Aston Martin. The Japanese manufacturer begins an exclusive partnership with the Silverstone squad after parting ways with Red Bull at the end of 2025.

22 January: Mercedes

Location: Online

Mercedes is set to unveil the livery of the W17 on 22 January via a social media release before private testing takes place the following week. The team will be holding a separate launch event on 2 February.

23 January: Alpine

Location: Barcelona

Alpine will unveil its 2026 F1 livery on 23 January during an event in Barcelona. The 2026 season not only marks the introduction of the new regulations but also the start of the French team's power unit partnership with Mercedes.

23 January: Ferrari

Location: TBC

Ferrari will unveil its 2026 livery on 23 January. While a location has not been confirmed yet, the Maranello outfit usually holds a live event at its historic home track.

"We will finish the assembly of the car the day before the launch, the launch will be January 23, which means we will finish the car on the 22nd, and this is to be aggressive," Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur said.

"But everybody will do the same, now we have a convergence in the approach of the season, and everybody will do the same."

Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, Ferrari and Frederic Vasseur, Team Principal and General Manager, Scuderia Ferrari

Photo by: Ferrari

2 February: Mercedes

Location: Online

After revealing the W17 livery on 22 January, Mercedes will host a launch event on 2 February. Fans will be able to watch live as the event will be streamed online. Drivers George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli will be present along with Mercedes CEO and team principal Toto Wolff.

3 February: Williams

Location: Grove

Williams will reveal its 2026 F1 car livery for the FW48 on 3 February, the Tuesday after the behind closed doors test in Barcelona, with drivers Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon present.

8 February: Cadillac

Location: California, TV and online

Cadillac, which is joining the F1 grid as the 11th team, is going big for its first livery reveal. The American team will launch the livery in a TV advert during the Super Bowl at Levi's Stadium on 8 February.

9 February: Aston Martin

Location: TBC

Aston Martin has confirmed that it will unveil the AMR26 on 9 February. The 2026 car will be the first designed by Adrian Newey for the Lawrence Stroll-owned outfit. While the location of the event is yet to be confirmed, the team usually opts to host it at its Silverstone headquarters with drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll in attendance.

9 February: McLaren

McLaren will launch its 2026 F1 car on the same day as Aston Martin, but in Bahrain on a live stream at 3pm GMT.

The defending F1 world champions will present both drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, plus team bosses Zak Brown and Andrea Stella at the launch, where it will unveil its new livery.