Williams unveil definitive 2009 colours

The car has run so far in winter testing in a plain blue livery, but the team used a media day at their factory on Thursday to show off the definitive blue-and-white colour scheme in which the car will contest the forthcoming season.

The team sacrificed much of last year so they could focus on their 2009 design, and team boss Frank Williams is hopeful that the efforts will pay off.

Although he admits it would be a dream to win a race, Williams thinks becoming a thorn in the side of the established top three this year would be reason enough to feel happy with their performance.

"We'd love to be a winner or in the top three all the time," said Williams. "But to be very close to the top three would be a big step for year one. It's by no means impossible, but it depends how good we've been this winter. We might get lucky with the car."

The livery unveiling of the FW31 coincided with the car featuring cockpit sails, labelled 'skate fins' by the team, for the first time. They are designed to channel air over the car and onto the rear wing.

The team believe that a big shake up of regulations this year could help them rediscover the form that has left them unable to win since Juan Pablo Montoya's victory in the 2004 Brazilian Grand Prix.

Nico Rosberg said: "The rule changes are a fantastic thing for us, definitely. A really good thing for us. There's no copying to do, nothing. It's just your own ideas.

"You start from zero, from scratch, like every other team. You have this set of rules and you need to make the best possible car for it."