Haas has made F1 history by becoming the first team to release images of a genuine 2026-spec car, unveiling the VF-26 and its updated livery ahead of the sport’s sweeping regulation overhaul.
While Red Bull and Racing Bulls launched their 2026 liveries last week on show cars, Haas are the first team to publish images of an actual 2026-spec machine. Their reveal also kicks off a busy period, with several teams expected to follow suit over the coming days as the grid prepares for one of the most dramatic technical resets in Formula One history.
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The American-owned squad will again be represented by Britain’s Oliver Bearman, 20, and French racer Esteban Ocon, who continue together for a second consecutive season. The timing of the launch reflects the scale of the challenge facing teams, with the 2026 F1 World Championship ushering in all-new power units and chassis concepts.
A first look at F1’s smaller, lighter future
The initial images of the VF-26 give a clear indication of how Formula 1 cars will change under the 2026 regulations. The cars are smaller and lighter, with radically reworked front and rear wings designed to reduce overall downforce and drag compared to the outgoing generation.
Alongside the technical reveal, Haas also showcased their new livery. The familiar black carbon areas seen in recent seasons have been significantly reduced, replaced by larger white sections and stronger red detailing. The design also reflects the arrival of Toyota Gazoo Racing as the team’s new title sponsor for 2026.
Haas shared multiple images of the VF-26 online on Monday, offering fans and rivals alike their first opportunity to study the new car’s proportions and aerodynamic philosophy.
Komatsu: “It’s been a monumental effort”
Haas enters the new era carrying a sense of momentum. Although they finished eighth in the Constructors’ Championship last season, the team recorded the second-highest points total in their 10-year Formula 1 history.
Team principal Ayao Komatsu acknowledged both the unusual timing of the launch and the scale of the task ahead.
“It feels almost a bit surreal to be unveiling a new car this early in the year but it’s not any less exciting venturing into a new F1 campaign – especially one with such a change in regulations.”
Preparation time will be limited, with three separate pre-season tests scheduled before the opening round in Melbourne. The first runs from January 26–30 in Barcelona, followed by two further sessions in Bahrain during February.
Komatsu stressed the intensity of the work required to meet those deadlines.
“We’re fully focused on being ready for Shakedown Week in Barcelona. It’s been a monumental effort from everyone on the team to work with such a tight turnaround time from the end of last season to putting cars on track in January.
“It goes without saying that after so much talk, we can’t wait to see how these cars will perform and what we’ll face as we then progress through our test programs ahead of Australia.
“Track time is going to be crucial through Spain and Bahrain and while we know there’s going to be challenges along the way, we do this because we’re passionate about Formula 1.”
Bearman building on a standout rookie year
Oliver Bearman arrives into 2026 following a highly impressive debut campaign. The British driver delivered a particularly strong second half of the season, highlighted by five consecutive points finishes and a career-best fourth place in Mexico.
His performances saw him consistently outperform Ocon, an experienced and dependable benchmark, fuelling speculation about Bearman’s long-term prospects. The 20-year-old remains part of Ferrari’s driver academy, with the Italian team having placed him at Haas to continue his development.
Reflecting on his first full year in Formula 1, Bearman said:
“It was a year where I certainly learned a lot, not only about myself as a person, or as an athlete, but also about Formula 1.
“I’ve really increased my knowledge base infinitely, because I’ve been put in experiences that you just can’t learn prior to experiencing them. I’ve definitely improved a lot in all of those areas and I’m really happy with how the season went, particularly the second half.
“I really upped my game, I felt like in the second half of the season, I started to put down some really some results that I was really happy with, and that was critical for me. I’m excited to continue that this year.”
Experience expected to pay off in 2026
Bearman believes the experience gained during his rookie season — often racing at circuits for the first time — will allow him to start 2026 in a far stronger position.
“I’m most excited to return to all of these circuits, having experienced a race weekend already,” he added. “I now understand how a track evolves through the weekend, how the tyres perform, and what changes may have tripped me up last year. More often than not, last year, I was going to new circuits where my competition had been plenty of times.
“Of course, I’m now going to circuits that I’ve only driven at once, and where my competition has driven 10 or 11 times, but I feel like even just having one race weekend’s worth of experience at a circuit, and the knowledge base that I’ve built up from a full season of F1 is going to put me in a much better place.”
With Haas leading the way into Formula 1’s bold new era, attention will now turn to how the VF-26 performs once it finally hits the track — and whether the early momentum can translate into results when the lights go out in Melbourne.
Testing and season opener confirmed
With the introduction of all-new regulations, Formula 1 has scheduled three pre-season tests ahead of the opening race.
The first will take place behind closed doors in Barcelona from January 26-30. Two further tests will follow in Bahrain on February 11-13 and February 18-20.
After testing concludes, teams will have two weeks to finalise preparations for the championship’s opening round.
The 2026 Formula 1 season begins with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne from March 6-8. Practice sessions start on Friday, 6 March, qualifying follows on Saturday, 7 March, and the first race of the new era takes place on Sunday, 8 March.
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