F1 2026 car names: who’s calling what in the new rules reset
New power units, new aero, fresh headaches for the CFD department — and a new batch of chassis names to learn. As F1 gears up for its biggest rule change in a generation in 2026, most teams are sticking to tradition with their naming playbook… with a couple of notable blanks still to fill. Here’s where the grid stands.
Alpine — A526
No frills, no fuss. Alpine confirmed it’ll roll into the new era with the A526 tag — a neat blend of its A500 internal project code plus the year. Expect the Enstone squad to make plenty of noise about a clean-sheet car under the 2026 rules.
Aston Martin — AMR26
Aston’s keeping the usual format: AMR followed by the year. The Silverstone outfit has been talking up its long-term project for some time, and AMR26 is pencilled in as the first machine fully authored for the 2026 rules cycle.
Audi — TBC
The big unknown with a big badge. Audi’s full works entry lands in 2026 after taking over the Sauber operation. A concept livery wore “R26” earlier in the buildup, but whether that sticks for the real chassis designation remains to be seen. For trivia lovers: “R26” also recalls Renault’s title-winning 2006 car.
Cadillac — TBC
A fresh name in the mix has everyone curious — and tight-lipped for now. If and when the Cadillac-branded project makes its formal entrance for 2026, the first chassis name is yet to be announced. Watch this space.
Ferrari — TBC
Maranello’s naming has settled into a rhythm lately, usually “SF” plus the year. After the one-offs of the past (SF70H, SF90, SF1000, F1-75), the team has kept it consistent in recent seasons. Expect continuity, with the Scuderia set to confirm its 2026 title closer to launch.
Haas — VF-26
The VF tag lives on. Haas keeps its decade-long convention, with VF nodding back to the company’s first CNC machine — the “Very First.” From VF-16 to VF-26, the American team stays on brand as it rolls into the new regs.
McLaren — MCL40 (expected)
Since moving on from the MP4 era in 2017, McLaren’s stuck to straight counting with the “MCL” prefix — barring the anniversary MCL60. By that logic, the next one should be MCL40. It’s not official at the time of writing, but it’s the obvious next step from Woking.
Mercedes — W17 (expected)
Mercedes traditionally labels its cars “W” for Wagen, counting up from W01 on the team’s 2010 return. No formal announcement yet, but W17 fits the lineage. Call it Germanic orderliness — and don’t expect a curveball.
Racing Bulls — VCARB 03 (expected)
Simple and to the point. The Faenza outfit’s post-rebrand naming scheme reads like it sounds — Visa Cash App RB — and the third car in this guise is widely expected to be VCARB 03. No drama, just the next number.
Red Bull — RB22
Red Bull rarely complicates this. The team counts up from RB1, with the lone detour being 2021’s RB16B. The RB17 moniker ended up on the company’s hypercar, not an F1 chassis. For 2026, Milton Keynes has confirmed the RB22 as it enters the boost-and-active-aero era.
Williams — FW48
The Grove team’s heritage sits right in the name: FW for Frank Williams, then the count. Occasionally you’ll see a B or C for upgrades, but the 2026 car will be the FW48. Old-school, timeless, and unmistakably Williams.
The broader picture? With F1 ripping up the rulebook — new PU architecture, energy recovery demands, active aero and a very different way of making lap time — teams are trying to thread a needle: keep continuity where it comforts fans and partners, while signaling a line in the sand for a car that’ll behave unlike anything since the hybrid dawn.
Not every badge is on the nosecone yet, and a couple of projects are playing coy until launch season. But as ever, the naming tells a small story about each team. Alpine leans on process, Ferrari on legacy, Mercedes on lineage, McLaren on steady evolution. And Red Bull? It’s all about the next number — and the next benchmark.
