Mercedes has unveiled a striking special livery for the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, with the W17 switching its traditional silver for the green associated with Petronas. Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell will race the new colour scheme throughout the Sepang weekend, beginning with Friday’s opening practice session.
The one-off design pays tribute to Petronas in its home country as Formula 1 returns to Malaysia. Mercedes arrives at Sepang leading both championships, with Andrea Kimi Antonelli at the top of the Drivers’ standings and the Brackley team holding a sizeable advantage over Ferrari in the Constructors’ Championship.
Mercedes swaps silver for Petronas green at Sepang
For once, Mercedes’ famous silver will serve mainly as a supporting colour. The team revealed the special design ahead of a Bahrain Grand Prix that will be held at Sepang in Malaysia after the original event at Sakhir was affected by the ongoing situation in the Middle East.
The Malaysian venue will host the Bahrain Grand Prix while the event retains its official Bahrain designation. Formula 1 confirmed the move to Sepang for the October 2-4 weekend after the original Sakhir race could not take place as planned.
Toto Wolff’s team has dedicated the special W17 appearance to Petronas, whose home country is Malaysia. The unusual event therefore provides Mercedes with the opportunity to place the company’s familiar green at the centre of the car’s visual identity rather than using it primarily as an accent alongside silver.
The underlying W17 livery design remains unchanged, but the colour balance has effectively been reversed. Petronas green becomes the dominant shade, while Mercedes silver moves into the secondary role normally occupied by the green elements.
How the Mercedes W17 livery changes for Malaysia
The most obvious transformation comes at the front of the car. The W17’s nose is now completely green all the way back towards the cockpit, both across the upper surface and around the sides.
Only two subtle silver lines interrupt the green treatment, extending across the upper area around the sidepod inlets. The visual effect makes the front half of the car substantially different from the specification seen throughout the rest of the season.
The sidepods have also been altered. Areas that are normally finished in silver, including the bodywork around the cooling gills, become green, while silver remains as a supporting strip extending towards the rear of the W17.
The result is a Mercedes that will be significantly greener and even easier to distinguish throughout the Sepang weekend.
Mercedes arrives in Malaysia leading both F1 championships
The special livery comes during a season in which Mercedes has established itself as Formula 1’s benchmark team. Andrea Kimi Antonelli leads the Drivers’ Championship, while Mercedes holds a substantial advantage over Ferrari in the Constructors’ standings after a campaign in which the W17 has demonstrated its dominance across a wide variety of circuits.
George Russell remains Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s closest championship rival within Mercedes, although the gap between the two increased considerably during the recent phase of the season before Russell’s Azerbaijan victory reduced it again. The latest Formula 1 driver standings underline the advantage Mercedes carries into Sepang.
The 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia will take place from October 2-4 at the Sepang International Circuit, with Formula 1 returning to the venue for the first time since 2017. A full Bahrain GP at Sepang schedule and circuit guide covers the practice, qualifying and race timings for the unusual Malaysian event.
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