Red Bull unveils livery for 2016 F1 challenger

Red Bull Racing has pulled the wraps off its livery for the 2016 Formula 1 World Championship season, adopting a new 'matte blue' appearance for its latest challenger.

Though the RB12 chassis itself won't be seen until the first Barcelona test on February 22nd, Red Bull Racing has instead previewed it by unveiling the car's livery.

The first Red Bull car to run without Infiniti branding since 2011 after the Japanese firm - the luxury arm of car manufacturer Nissan - ended its deal with the team, the RB12 will return to more prominent Red Bull branding on the sidepods as showcased on earlier entries.

Ditching the 'purple' shades of its most recent iterations for more of the brand's corporate blue, red and yellow design, the RB12 will also feature notable branding from TAG Heuer as part of a deal that will see the Swiss watchmaker used to brand the Renault engine, as well as Puma, Total and AT&T.

New for 2016, the chrome finishes of previous years has been replaced by a more understated matte finish, with flourescent detailing.

"It is great to unveil a new livery with a new partnership and we have some exciting new brands on the car this year, Puma, TAG-Heuer and some other exciting ones in the pipeline," said team manager Christian Horner. "It feels like a new era for the team with a sharp new livery. It is going to be distinctive and stand out on track."

Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat will form an unchanged driver line-up for the 2016 season, the pair looking to return Red Bull to winning ways after it suffered its first win-less season since 2008 last year.