Mercedes and Red Bull confirm changes for 2026 season as both F1 giants make same move

Mercedes and Red Bull have unveiled new logos for the 2026 season, confirming their changes after the New Year celebrations. The two F1 giants are both hoping to fight for silverware during the first campaign of the new technical regulations.

Red Bull confirmed a subtle change to their branding for the new campaign, harking back to years past by reintroducing a white background to the "Red Bull" text on their logo.

Mercedes, meanwhile, added "Petronas Formula 1 Team" to their emblem, as well as the AMG branding.

Mercedes are being billed by many as the favourites heading into the new regulation period, with plenty of positive noises coming out of the Silver Arrows' camp. However, with Audi, Honda and Red Bull all debuting their new power units and Ferrari expected to improve, the pecking order remains unclear.

"It's super difficult to predict, because we set ourselves targets that we are on track to meet," Mercedes boss Toto Wolff explained after the season finale in Abu Dhabi when asked about the team's 2026 challenger.

"But whether those targets were set ambitious enough and whether those targets have been set in the right place in terms of priorities, only the future will show. This is not far away, eight weeks or so."

If Mercedes ace the new regulations, George Russell believes that he is ready to deliver a World Championship. "I definitely know I can mix it with those guys at the top," the Norfolk-born racer declared.

"Max [Verstappen] is obviously the gold standard at the moment.

He's the one that I'd want to go head-to-head with, and I think he's the only one that people would question. He's the only driver on the grid that you'd want to be team-mates with to see your competitiveness."

The 2026 season is also a pivotal one for Verstappen and Red Bull. The Dutchman fell two points short of clinching a fifth consecutive Drivers' Championship crown in 2025, ultimately losing out to McLaren's Lando Norris.

Now, the 28-year-old will spend the 2026 campaign surveying the F1 landscape and picking out his destination for the next chapter of his career.

Red Bull are desperate to hold onto their star driver, but will need to provide him with competitive machinery if they are to retain his services. Both Mercedes and Aston Martin have already been linked with the four-time world champion.