Force India unveils pink livery with new partner

Force India has unveiled a major livery change as part of a new sponsorship deal with the Best Water Technology group (BWT).

Having launched a predominantly silver car when it unveiled the VJM10 at Silverstone last month, Force India has now revealed a pink livery that drops the previous Indian-themed color scheme. The deal with BWT is described as a "long-term relationship" that sees branding on the sidepods and will feature pink on Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon's helmet designs.

"The arrival of BWT in Formula 1 is huge news and represents one of the most significant partnerships in our 10 year history," team principal Vijay Mallya said. "It's a sign of how far we have come as a team with our strong results and completes a solid commercial performance over the winter.

"For 2017 our cars will sport a vibrant new color scheme with a smart matte finish. Changing the color of our cars is an indication of the strength of this new partnership and a real statement of intent from BWT as they begin their relationship with the sport of Formula 1."

Force India says the livery is composed of "pink, magenta and silver" and will run for the first time at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on March 26.

BWT CEO Andreas Weißenbacher says the decision to sponsor a Formula 1 team was taken in order to reach a global audience.

"The collaboration with Sahara Force India is an important part of our brand globalization strategy and will dynamically increase awareness of our brand around the world," Weißenbacher said. "We share with Formula 1 – the premier league of motor sport – the passion we show every day in trying to achieve the best possible standards for our elixir of life, H2O, enabling us to meet the demanding requirements for quality, health, safety and hygiene and drive the development of new technologies."