Haas has kicked off the 2026 F1 season build-up familiarly, dropping the covers online yesterday rather than holding a flashy launch event or stage show. One week out from the pre-season shakedown in Barcelona, the American squad unveiled digital renders of their new challenger with a stunning white, red, and black livery that immediately caught the attention of fans across social media.
True to form, Haas pulled the covers off before the car ever turned a wheel on track. The reaction was largely positive, with fans praising the new look and drivers chiming in as well.
A Fresh Look That Still Feels Like Haas
The 2026 design is quite similar to last year’s look, keeping a predominantly white base with red and black accents. The biggest visual change comes with the addition of the Toyota Gazoo Racing branding, most notably the GR logos on the front wing and along the shark fin. It gives the car a sharper, more aggressive identity while still feeling unmistakably Haas.
Founded by industrialist Gene Haas, the team entered the sport in 2016 and quickly earned a reputation for doing things differently. With a great operational model and strong technical partnerships, Haas has often punched above their weight despite operating with fewer resources than every other team in the sport.
Now entering their 11th season, Haas is trying to take another step forward after finishing eighth in last year’s Teams’ Championship. They will once again use Ferrari power units as they prepare for a new regulatory era that promises to shake up the grid.
The timing of this reveal matters, as F1’s 2026 regulations reset brings smaller, lighter cars, along with some massive changes to the car’s aerodynamic elements. Haas’s latest renders offer an early glimpse of how those changes will look this season.
Team principal Ayao Komatsu admitted the moment feels unusual, given how early teams are revealing their new cars, “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.”
“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,” he added.
Owner Haas also stressed how critical the pre-season sessions will be after such a competitive midfield fight last year, “Like all teams, we’ve faced the challenge of competing in 2025 while looking to design and now build these new-regulation entries for the 2026 season. The pre-season will be crucial to understand what these cars are capable of and how the drivers, engineers and teams in general adapt to them.”
“Last season’s competition in the midfield was of an exceptionally high standard, it was tough, and we need to go out again and continue to develop, both on and off-track,” he added.
Drivers React to Haas’ Livery for the 2026 Season
Haas will run an unchanged driver line-up, with Esteban Ocon and Ollie Bearman both returning to the driver’s seat. Ocon heads into his second season with the team while Bearman continues his growth after a confidence-boosting second half of last year.
“I’m excited about this year,” the French driver said. “This team is really growing, and this team is learning a lot. Since I arrived, there have been a lot of great things that have happened.”
Bearman added that he feels ready to build on his momentum, “I really upped my game, I felt like in the second half of the season, I started to put down some really strong results that I was really happy with, and that was critical for me. I’m excited to continue that this year.”
Off track, Haas’ expanded title partnership with Toyota Gazoo Racing has clearly struck a chord with the F1 world.
Haas will head to Barcelona this weekend for final preparations ahead of the first pre-season testing session, which begins on Jan. 26. The five-day private test allows teams to run on three days before official pre-season testing commences in Bahrain on Feb. 11-13 and Feb. 18-20.
