Mercedes begins new F1 era in sharing sound of new power unit
Mercedes will be looking to start Formula 1's new era quickly.
Mercedes has shared the sound of its new F1 2026 power unit, having recently said a fond farewell to its previous era of engine.
Mercedes High Performance Powertrains recently held a celebratory event to mark the team’s success with its power unit in the turbo-hybrid era, and it has now shared the fruits of its labours for Formula 1’s new beginning in 2026.
Mercedes shares clip of F1 2026 engine sound
Honda became the first power unit manufacturer to share the sound of its new engine recently, with the Japanese marque having also announced a launch date separate from Aston Martin’s, on 20 January, to officially unveil its new power unit.
In posting a clip on social media, Mercedes has now followed suit, accompanied simply by the caption: “Coming soon.”
As with Honda, any details were kept to a minimum, with only the sound of the new power unit playing as it moved through the gears.
Mercedes will power more teams than any other in the F1 2026 season, with its works team being joined by customer deals with McLaren and Williams, alongside a new power unit customer in Alpine.
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This news comes off the back of the team showcasing its all-conquering 2014 challenger, the W05, and its 2025 car, the W16, for demo runs at the power unit division’s base in Brixworth and reflecting on its success in Formula 1’s previous era – with 10 of the 12 seasons having had at least one title won using Mercedes power.
Mercedes HPP managing director Hywel Thomas said: “It was a brief pause today to mark the success of the past 12 years, but then right back to work as we focus on what we want to achieve ahead of 2026.
“It is such an exciting time as we stand on the verge of the next era in our sport. We are only a few weeks away from the new Power Unit taking to the circuit for that first track test in Barcelona and we look forward with anticipation to that moment in the way we did all the way back in 2014.”
Mercedes is one of four teams yet to officially release a 2026 car launch date, with the first pre-season test beginning on 26 January.
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