Mercedes Unveils PETRONAS-Inspired Livery for Malaysia F1 Weekend
NXTbets Pro | Published On: September 30, 2026
Mercedes livery
Mercedes rolled out a one-off special livery for its W17 cars, a fresh look built around shades of green and the team’s usual black base. The design honors title partner PETRONAS and gives the Mercedes cars a different visual identity for this event only. The move ties the team’s branding directly to one of its key partners and puts PETRONAS at the center of Mercedes’ presentation in Sepang.
The timing gives the unveiling added weight for Mercedes because the team is heading into a weekend that already carries unusual significance. Malaysia is back on the Formula 1 calendar for its first race since 2017, and Mercedes chose to mark that return with a special look on track. The W17s of Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell will carry the design at Sepang International Circuit, where the team will try to make the package stand out in one of the sport’s more demanding venues. Mercedes did not treat the livery as a background detail. It made the sponsor tribute part of the weekend identity, with the green elements set against the black base that remains central to the team’s image.
Malaysia weekend
The race itself carries a rare twist. It will officially remain the Bahrain Grand Prix even though the event is being held in Malaysia. Formula 1, the FIA and the governments of Bahrain and Malaysia agreed to the arrangement after the original Bahrain race was canceled because of the war in the Middle East. That decision keeps the championship calendar intact while shifting the venue to Sepang for this weekend’s action. It also turns the Malaysia round into more than a standard stop on the schedule, because the event blends an established Grand Prix name with a different host country and circuit.
That setup gives Mercedes another layer to manage. The team arrives in Malaysia for a race that is both familiar and unusual, with the official title tied to Bahrain but the action taking place in Sepang. Mercedes is also bringing its first major upgrade since the Canadian Grand Prix, so the weekend is about more than presentation. The team has a new livery, a changed race setting and a significant car update all landing at once. That makes the Malaysia round a practical test as well as a promotional one, with the car, the conditions and the event structure all demanding attention from the outset.
Wolff upgrade
Toto Wolff said the weekend has extra significance because of Mercedes’ long relationship with PETRONAS, and he cast Sepang as a stiff test in hot conditions. That combination matters for the team because the Malaysian circuit can put real strain on cars and drivers, and Mercedes is bringing an upgrade it needs to understand quickly. Wolff said the team must move fast in learning the package and then execute well. That puts the emphasis on how the W17 responds, how the drivers adapt and how the team handles the run of sessions in one of the season’s tougher environments.
Wolff also said he hopes the update package becomes another step forward as Mercedes looks to fight at the front. That goal fits the shape of the weekend. The special livery draws attention, but the real measure will come from how the upgrade performs in race conditions. Antonelli and Russell will be the ones on track turning the new parts into laps, and Mercedes will want to see the changes translate into immediate progress. The team’s message is clear. The PETRONAS tribute matters, the Malaysia return matters and the upgrade matters even more. Mercedes is using the weekend to connect all three, then find out whether the car can match the occasion.
