FIRST PICS: Retro-inspired Williams livery
The Williams FW33 in its new livery
Williams has unveiled a retro-inspired livery for its 2011 Formula One challenger.
The Grove-based outfit has completed the pre-season testing thus far with an interim livery, before revealing its race colours in an online launch.
The FW33’s blue and white colour scheme is highly reminiscent of the Rothmans liveries that Williams ran between 1994 and 1997.
The team won two World Drivers and three World Constructors Championships over that four-year period, with drivers Damon Hill, Ayrton Senna, David Coulthard, Nigel Mansell, David Coulthard, Jacques Villeneueve and Heinz-Harald Frentzen.
The new car features prominent backing from Venezuelan national energy company PDVSA, which has bankrolled reigning GP2 Champion Pastor Maldonado’s entry into the team.
The new livery draws inspiration from the Rothmans-era
Employment solutions company Ranstad, watch company Oris and communications giant AT&T continue to back the team, with AT&T remaining in the role of title sponsor.
Brazilian veteran Rubens Barrichello will continue to lead the team this season, and set the fastest time during the recent four-day Jerez test.
The team retains Cosworth engines for a second consecutive season, and will run a recently developed battery-run Kinetic Energy Recovery System, rather than the un-raced flywheel unit developed throughout 2009.