Toto Wolff makes vow following new Mercedes W17 reveal.
Crucially, Wolff stated: "We will continue to push hard in the months ahead."
22 Jan 2026
Ian Parkes
RacingNews365

The W17 has been revealed to the world to a minimum of fuss, with Toto Wolff making clear the team's ambition in the coming months. Assessing the car and campaign to come, Wolff said: "Formula 1 will undergo significant change in 2026, and we are prepared for that transition.

"The new regulations demand innovation and absolute focus across every area of performance. Our work on the new car, and the long-term development of the power unit and advanced sustainable fuels with Petronas, reflects that approach. Releasing the first images of the W17 is simply the next step in that process. It represents the collective, sustained effort of our teams in Brixworth and Brackley."

‘Revealed to the world to a minimum of fuss’;

https://racingnews365.com/toto-wolff...des-w17-reveal


Mercedes Unveil Brand New Look For 2026 F1 Season; Toto Wolff Provides Warning
Jan 22, 2026
Agence France-Presse
NDTV.com

The W17 is smaller, narrower, and lighter than its predecessor. "Formula One will undergo significant change in 2026, and we are prepared for that transition," said team principal Wolff. "The new regulations demand innovation and absolute focus across every area of performance."

The new era starts here. Introducing our W17 pic.twitter.com/ld0Zu6vjTv
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) January 22, 2026
The team released digital images of their new W17 car on Thursday, describing the 2026 season as "the biggest technical shake-up in the sport's history".

"The new regulations demand innovation and absolute focus”;

https://sports.ndtv.com/formula-1/me...rning-10830190


Did Mercedes Just Unleash F1’s 2026 Secret Weapon?
Jan 23, 2026
Alex Albuquerque
FastestLap.com

Mercedes’ first public run with the W17 at Silverstone was always going to be heavy on optics and light on hard answers. A filming day in January, on a cold, wet track, tells you almost nothing about lap time and plenty about whether the basics work. Still, there were a couple of tells worth clocking — not least from George Russell, who sounded quietly energised by what’s going on at Brixworth. With filming-day limits capping Mercedes at 200 kilometres, Russell and Kimi Antonelli split the work and logged 67 laps between them.

Mercedes’ head of trackside engineering Andrew Shovlin described it as a “sensible first day of running”, the kind of line you get when the priority is to get to the end of the day without the laptop screens turning red. The aim, he said, was simply to make sure everything “operates safely and reliably”, with both drivers getting their first feel of the new-generation machinery.

“It’s mega to see the new car, new engine on track,” Russell said. “It sounds amazing. It really sounds different to what I was expecting. It’s a really special day, getting to drive it for the first time, because this engine and power unit has been years in the works… and then finally getting the chance to drive today is always a really nice time of year. So yeah, great to be out. Great to see it on the track, and can’t wait to drive it full gas.”

‘George Russell, who sounded quietly energised by what’s going on at Brixworth’;

https://fastestlap.com/news/did-merc...secret-weapon/


Encouraging signs? Gary Anderson's verdict on the 2026 Mercedes
Jan 22, 2026
Gary Anderson
The Race

The 2026 Formula 1 season represents a big opportunity for Mercedes to recover from its relatively disastrous ground effect era, one in which it never really got on top of the situation and where inconsistency was its dominant trait. Being untouchable at one event then fighting to get into Q3 at the next one is not a good place to be; it just ebbs away your confidence.

So, will the problem continue in 2026? If Mercedes hasn't recognised where it was coming from - which is either the windtunnel and/or the simulation tools, or the way the team combines the data from those two - and rectified it, then yes it will. However, as this set of regulations is less critically dependent on what is happening between the ground and the undersurface of the car, the problem shouldn't be quite as bad.

As an overall package it looks good; nothing startling anywhere but good, clean lines with everything looking like it is working as one. As I have said before, sometimes it is better to optimise what you have experience of and Mercedes has stuck with the pushrod operated front suspension. That's no bad thing as I don't believe there is much to choose between a pullrod or pushrod, so packaging is the prime consideration in that area. Will it be back to the domination seen before 2022? Rumour has it that the new Mercedes power unit is a rocketship and with McLaren, Williams and Alpine using it too, that's eight drivers who are all very competent that could take big points.

‘As an overall package it looks good’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/m...erson-verdict/


Mercedes W17 Unveiled With Active Aero for F1 2026
Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS debuts a downsized hybrid W17 with refreshed black-and-silver livery and bold new Microsoft partnership.
23 Jan 2026
HYPEBEAST

Mercedes is treating 2026 as a hard reboot. The W17 is the team’s first response to the sport’s sweeping chassis, power unit and fuel regulations, arriving as the “biggest technical shake-up in the sport’s history”. The car is shorter, narrower and lighter than its predecessors, built around active aero with moveable front and rear wings and a power unit delivering a near 50/50 split between electric and combustion power on advanced sustainable fuels.

On track, the intent is just as aggressive. Russell and Antonelli have already logged nearly 200km at a wet Silverstone filming day to validate systems before the behind-closed-doors Barcelona shakedown and dual Bahrain tests. After four years without a title, Mercedes is leaning on its historic record of nailing major rule resets, its Brixworth power-unit brain trust and now its Microsoft-backed data stack to try and own F1’s next era rather than chase it.

‘Active Aero’;

https://hypebeast.com/2026/1/mercede...ro-for-f1-2026


F1: Mercedes engine solution deemed legal ahead of 2026 season
22 Jan 2026
Last Word On Sports

Since the German manufacturer began developing this solution, the federation have deemed their interpretation of the regulations as valid. Because the engine still complies with the mandated 16:1 limit during standard checks, it is technically compliant with the rules. Mercedes’ success in increasing their compression ratio when the engines are on track and at racing temperature does not directly violate the rules or result in a failure of the FIA’s scrutineering.

Of course, this technicality is something that other teams have disputed. A stricter interpretation of the regulations would always make the use of this design controversial. Regardless, it would have taken a surprise twist for the FIA to change their stance on a solution they have known about for some time. In any case, the other engine suppliers were hopeful to receive some clarification in today’s meeting. To some extent, they did gain a better understanding of the situation.

The headline is that Mercedes’ unique design has been deemed as legal by the FIA. By extension, Red Bull (who are also working on this idea) will also be able to utilise it later in 2026. With the start of the season inching ever closer, alterations to the regulations were always going to be unlikely. Doing so would not only contradict the federation’s previous stance, but also create a nightmare scenario for the four Mercedes-powered and two Red Bull-powered teams ahead of round one in Australia.

‘Mercedes engine solution deemed legal’;

https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...f-2026-season/


First Mercedes reaction emerges as Russell and Antonelli break silence on shakedown
23 Jan 2026
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com

Mercedes’ head of trackside engineering, Andrew Shovlin, called it a “sensible first day of running” with the focus on “ensuring everything operates safely and reliably. “We were able to get through our allotted mileage, with both George and Kimi getting to experience the 2026 car on track for the first time.”

George Russell, tipped by many pundits to be amongst the favourites for this year’s title amidst reports Mercedes may have gained a march on its rivals, gave a nod to the Mercedes power unit. “It’s mega to see the new car, new engine on track,” he said on Mercedes’ social media feed. “It sounds amazing. It really sounds different to what I was expecting. It’s a really special day, getting to drive it for the first time, because this engine and power unit has been years in the works.”

Kimi Antonelli: “First day in the new car, super big day for the team, for everyone involved in the project,” he said. “And I have to say it was a good day. I’m super happy. And, you know, a massive thanks to all the people back in in Brackley and Brixworth because they’ve done an incredible job on putting the car together and allowing us to do some laps today.”

“Sensible first day of running”;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/first-...elli-shakedown