Fans of iconic motoring racing liveries rejoice - Williams will be sporting Martini colours for the 2014 F1 season and beyond.
Up there with Gulf's sky blue-and-orange combo, the classic red-and-white Alfa livery of the 155 DTM (which itself went on to sport Martini sponsorship in 1995 and '96) and of course the John Player Special Lotuses, Martini has been absent from F1 since the end of its support of the Lotus team for the 1979 season. Since 2006, it has been one of the smaller sponsors of Scuderia Ferrari, but this is the first time in 35 years that an F1 car will be in the Italian vermouth maker's full war paint.
The announcement came at the recent launch of Williams ahead of the new season of F1, which will see turbocharged cars back on the grid for the first time since 1988. The multi-year agreement between the British team and the Italians has created Williams Martini Racing.
"We are thrilled to welcome Martini to the Williams family and officially launch Williams Martini Racing," said Sir Frank Williams, founder and team principal of Williams. "Williams and Martini share a rich history in the world of motorsport, and the values of our two brands and our shared passion for racing make this partnership a natural fit. It will be great to see the distinctive stripes of Martini Racing return to Formula One once again in unison with Williams."
Anything else?
As good news as this retro racing livery's return is, we think the colours have never looked better than when adorning a Group B Lancia - such as the Delta S4 or, preferably, the stunning 037. Failing that, the brand's long association with Porsche racers, whether that is Le Mans or Targa Florio, is worth checking out.