McLaren Becomes Final F1 Team to Confirm 2026 Launch Date

Formula 1, Sportrik Media – McLaren F1 Team has become the last outfit on the Formula 1 grid to officially confirm its launch plans for the 2026 season, announcing that it will unveil its new livery on 9 February at the Bahrain International Circuit.

As reigning world champions, McLaren enters the new regulatory era with major expectations, yet has opted to delay its public reveal longer than any of its rivals. The Woking-based team confirmed that the online presentation will begin at 15:00 GMT and will showcase only the visual identity of the 2026 car, which will be driven by Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri as they attempt to defend both drivers’ and constructors’ titles.

McLaren’s chosen date places it directly alongside Aston Martin F1 Team, which confirmed back in December that it will reveal its first Honda-powered AMR26 designed by Adrian Newey on the same day. While Aston Martin will present its actual 2026 car, McLaren has elected to keep its new chassis hidden until the first public running in Bahrain.

Although all 2026-spec cars are scheduled to complete their initial shakedown runs between 26 and 30 January at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, those sessions will be held behind closed doors and are expected to feature camouflage liveries, meaning no official designs will be seen until the Bahrain tests on 11–13 and 18–20 February.

Elsewhere on the launch calendar, Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls will jointly reveal their 2026 liveries on 15 January in Michigan alongside engine partner Ford. Audi Revolut F1 Team will follow with a Berlin-based livery launch on 20 January, marking its first official presentation since taking over Sauber Motorsport.

Mercedes AMG Petronas will reveal its 2026 livery on 22 January, while Scuderia Ferrari and Alpine F1 Team are both scheduled for 23 January in Fiorano and Barcelona respectively. Williams Racing will launch its new car on 3 February, before newcomer Cadillac F1 Team unveils its first F1 livery during the Super Bowl on 8 February.

By waiting until 9 February, McLaren ensures maximum attention just days before public testing begins, while also limiting the amount of technical information rivals can extract from its presentation. In a season defined by sweeping regulatory change, even the timing of a launch has become a strategic tool — one that continues to be monitored closely by Sportrik Media at https://sportrik.com.