Williams unveiled its new light blue-and-white look on Monday at a launch event that included the reveal of its new title sponsor ROKiT.

It replaces the famous Martini stripes that had adorned Williams's cars from 2014 to the end of last season, and deputy team principal Claire Williams said thought had been given to returning to the navy/white colour scheme that the team has used at various points throughout its history.

Williams's first cars were white with green branding, but the team grew to incorporate more blue (and yellow) through the 1980s and early 1990s, raced red Winfield liveried cars in 1998 and 1999 and settled into a run of blue-and-white cars since.

"This year is such an important year for us," said Williams. "We spent quite a lot of time on this livery, it's all done in-house – we have a very good creative team at Williams.

"I wanted a livery that told a story as to where Williams is. I think a lot of people are fully aware that Williams's traditional colours are navy blue and white.

"I wanted to move away from that and show the world we're a fresh, revitalized brand.

"Just reverting to our traditional navy and white didn't really tell that story. F1 is your shop window to the world so I wanted to make sure we came out with a really bright livery."

ROKiT co-founder Jonathan Kendrick said he was initially uncertain about the livery as his company has a black and red colour scheme.

However, he said he was won over as soon as he saw the alternative.

"Claire said it was blue, and I said 'I don't quite get that Claire'. She said, 'Well, here's a black version, a red version, a white version – just come and have a look at the blue version.

"So, I went downstairs and I saw this beautiful car and thought, 'I'm in again'."

Photo gallery: Williams' liveries through the years

Slider List Alan Jones, Williams 1 / 42 Photo by: Williams F1 Alan Jones, Williams FW07 2 / 42 Photo by: Motorsport Images Alan Jones, Williams 3 / 42 Photo by: Williams F1 Alan Jones, Williams 4 / 42 Photo by: Williams F1 Keke Rosberg, Williams FW07C-Ford Cosworth 5 / 42 Photo by: Motorsport Images Ayrton Senna, tests the Williams FW08C for the first time 6 / 42 Photo by: Sutton Images Keke Rosberg, Williams 7 / 42 Photo by: Williams F1 Keke Rosberg, Williams 8 / 42 Photo by: Williams F1 Nelson Piquet, Williams FW11 Honda 9 / 42 Photo by: Motorsport Images Nigel Mansell, Williams FW11B Honda 10 / 42 Photo by: Motorsport Images Jean-Louis Schlesser, Williams FW12 11 / 42 Photo by: Motorsport Images Thierry Boutsen, Williams FW13 12 / 42 Photo by: Sutton Images Riccardo Patrese, Williams FW13B Renault 13 / 42 Photo by: Motorsport Images Nigel Mansell, Williams Renault FW14 14 / 42 Photo by: Sutton Images Nigel Mansell, Williams FW14B Renault 15 / 42 Photo by: Motorsport Images Alain Prost, Williams 16 / 42 Photo by: Sutton Images Damon Hill, Williams FW16 17 / 42 Photo by: Sutton Images Damon Hill, Williams FW17 Renault 18 / 42 Photo by: Motorsport Images Jacques Villeneuve, Williams FW18 Renault 19 / 42 Photo by: Motorsport Images Jacques Villeneuve, Williams FW19 20 / 42 Photo by: Motorsport Images Jacques Villeneuve, Williams FW20 21 / 42 Photo by: Motorsport Images Alex Zanardi, Williams 22 / 42 Photo by: Sutton Images Jenson Button, Williams BMW FW22 23 / 42 Photo by: Sutton Images Juan Pablo Montoya, BMW Williams FW23 24 / 42 Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images Ralf Schumacher, Williams 25 / 42 Photo by: Russell Batchelor / Motorsport Images Juan Pablo Montoya, Williams BMW FW25 26 / 42 Photo by: Sutton Images Marc Gene, BMW Williams FW26 27 / 42 Photo by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Images Mark Webber, Williams F1 BMW FW27 28 / 42 Photo by: Sutton Images Alex Wurz, Williams FW28 Third Driver 29 / 42 Photo by: Sutton Images Nico Rosberg, Williams Cosworth FW27 30 / 42 Photo by: Sutton Images Nico Rosberg, Williams FW29 Toyota 31 / 42 Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images Kazuki Nakajima, Williams FW30 32 / 42 Photo by: Sutton Images Nico Rosberg, Williams FW31 Toyota 33 / 42 Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images Nico Hulkenberg, Williams FW32 Cosworth 34 / 42 Photo by: Andrew Ferraro / Motorsport Images Pastor Maldonado, Williams FW34 35 / 42 Photo by: Sutton Images Valtteri Bottas, Williams FW35 36 / 42 Photo by: Sutton Images Felipe Massa, Williams FW36 37 / 42 Photo by: Sutton Images Valtteri Bottas, Williams FW37 38 / 42 Photo by: Sutton Images Valtteri Bottas, Williams FW38 39 / 42 Photo by: Sutton Images Felipe Massa, Williams FW40 40 / 42 Photo by: Mark Sutton George Russell, Williams FW41 41 / 42 Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images Williams FW42 42 / 42 Photo by: Williams F1

Williams said she was nervous about showing her father Frank, who founded the team in 1977 after his own initial efforts and is still officially team principal, the new design.

She joked that if he was not a fan of the livery she would not still be in her job.

Williams said: "Frank loved it! You might be surprised to hear that but he did.

"I was a bit nervous going to present it to him because Frank is very traditional and protective of that navy blue and white.

"But understanding the argument behind it, that this is telling the world a very clear story and delivering a clear message as to where we are as a company, he is fully behind it.

"And I'm still here! If he didn't like it he probably would have fired me."