Will This Be Mercedes’ Brand-New F1 Livery for 2026?

Mercedes is preparing to enter Formula 1’s new power unit era in 2026 amid growing expectations that the Brackley-based team could return to the front of the grid, as speculation intensifies around the livery it will unveil for the new season.

The first phase of Formula 1 car launches for the new generation is now underway, offering early insight into how teams intend to visually represent themselves in the coming era. After concept liveries emerged for Red Bull and Ferrari, attention has now turned to Mercedes, whose official livery reveal is scheduled to take place shortly.

Mercedes approaches this regulatory reset carrying both historical weight and renewed opportunity. After dominating Formula 1 from the beginning of the turbo-hybrid era in 2014, the team endured a marked decline following the introduction of ground-effect regulations. Over the past four seasons, victories were sporadic and sustained title challenges remained out of reach.

Despite those struggles, Mercedes has remained competitively relevant. The team finished second in the constructors’ championship in both 2023 and 2025, although those results stood in stark contrast to the eight consecutive constructors’ titles it secured between 2014 and 2021.

Looking ahead to 2026, perceptions surrounding Mercedes have shifted once more. The team is widely regarded within the paddock as a leading contender for the new era, largely due to confidence in its forthcoming power unit. The situation echoes the start of the turbo-hybrid era in 2014, when Mercedes’ engine advantage rendered it effectively untouchable.

Against that backdrop, the visual identity of the team has taken on added symbolic importance. Mercedes’ livery reveal on Thursday is expected to offer the first official glimpse of how the Silver Arrows intend to present themselves as they attempt to reclaim their place at the top of Formula 1.

Ahead of that unveiling, concept designs have already begun circulating, including a render produced by RacingNews365. The design retains Mercedes’ traditional Silver Arrows identity while adopting a sharper, more modern aesthetic, blending silver and black elements with more aggressive detailing.

If the concept proves close to the final version, it could be the livery under which George Russell and rookie Kimi Antonelli mount Mercedes’ challenge for both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships in the new era.

In Formula 1, major regulation changes often reshape the competitive order, and liveries frequently serve as visual markers of a team’s intent and ambition. For Mercedes, the 2026 design will represent more than a stylistic refresh—it will symbolise a reset, renewed confidence, and the pursuit of a return to sustained dominance.

The official reveal will soon determine whether Mercedes opts for an evolutionary interpretation of its Silver Arrows heritage or a bolder visual statement to mark the beginning of Formula 1’s next chapter.