Mercedes adds Petronas turquoise to W17 for Sepang return

A one-off look for Petronas’ home race

Mercedes has revealed a special livery for this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, with a larger sweep of Petronas turquoise across the W17 to mark the sponsor’s return to its home circuit.

The race will take place at Sepang International Circuit, bringing Formula 1 back to Malaysia for the first time since 2017. The event was moved from Bahrain after the original race was postponed earlier this season. The circumstances behind the switch make the weekend unusual, but Mercedes’ visual change is focused on its long-standing connection with Petronas and the Malaysian audience.

Turquoise already features prominently on the W17, running through the car’s existing flow-line design. For Sepang, the team has expanded its presence, giving the single-event livery a more distinctive appearance while retaining the familiar base of the Mercedes design.

A partnership rooted in Malaysia

Petronas has been Mercedes’ title and technical partner since the team returned to Formula 1 in 2010. The company also held title-sponsorship rights for every Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang from 1999 to 2017, strengthening the local significance of the team’s choice to foreground its colours this weekend.

The relocation of the Bahrain Grand Prix to Sepang puts George Russell and Kimi Antonelli in front of Petronas’ home crowd as Formula 1 resumes at a circuit where Mercedes has recorded strong results.

The team’s Sepang record includes one victory: Lewis Hamilton won from pole position in 2014. Mercedes drivers have also collected eight podium finishes at the circuit, while Hamilton secured four consecutive pole positions from 2014 through 2017.

That history gives the turquoise accent more than a purely cosmetic role. It connects Mercedes’ current drivers and car to Petronas’ homecoming, while recalling the team’s previous success at Sepang. Russell and Antonelli will race in a livery that makes the partnership’s Malaysian roots especially visible on Formula 1’s return to the circuit.

The special design is limited to this weekend’s event, where the expanded turquoise treatment will distinguish the W17 from its standard appearance. Mercedes has not provided further details in the source material about the livery beyond its increased use of Petronas’ signature shade.