The future's orange, the future's Spyker.

Spyker MF1 is hoping a change of colour scheme will bring a change of luck in this weekend's Chinese Grand Prix, as the team bids to break its 2006 duck.

Emblazoned in its striking new orange and silver livery, the past couple of weeks have seen Spyker MF1 embark on an intensive testing and development programme. The squad is confident this will produce an improved showing around the technically challenging Shanghai circuit, following a dispiriting Italian Grand Prix last time out with only Christijan Albers' 17th - and last - place finish to take away from the weekend.

"So much has happened since the last race in Monza that we have arrived in China looking like a new team - Spyker MF1," Albers said. "It is an exciting time for everybody.

"I hope we can put on a good performance and show that we now have an even greater commitment to being competitive with our rivals. The car has improved all season but due to bad luck has missed some great opportunities to show its capabilities. That first point is out there somewhere and I hope we can get it in the bag this weekend."

"Coming to Shanghai is always such an experience," team-mate Tiago Monteiro added. "The track architecture is absolutely amazing and I enjoy driving here. I had a great race last year when I finished 11th to end my first season in Formula One.

"I now return having nearly completed another season so I hope I can build upon a good performance in 2005 with a better-performing car in 2006. The season is not over yet and I feel the team still has some valuable opportunities to score a point under our new Spyker MF1 name."

A new face at Spyker in China will be that of Alexandre Premat, the outfit's third driver for the weekend. Team-mate to Lewis Hamilton in GP2 this year, the Frenchman had his first taste of Formula One machinery with Spyker at Silverstone last week, and said he could not wait to make his grand prix 'debut'.

"I am very excited about driving a Formula One car for the first time at a grand prix weekend as it has always been an ambition of mine," Premat enthused. "Shanghai has some very technical sections and long sweeping corners that will be a real challenge for me.

"I have driven here before in the A1GP Series but to gain experience at these tracks outside Europe really helps me to grow as a Formula One driver. I believe we can do some good work here this weekend and collect valuable information for Christijan and Tiago to use for their race preparation."

Predicting a bright new dawn for his team, managing director Colin Kolles said he could think of no more fitting venue for the squad's first official appearance as Spyker MF1.

"I feel coming here to China as Spyker MF1 is the start of a completely new adventure for everybody associated with the team," he said. "Places like the Shanghai International Circuit represent the future of Formula One and teams like Spyker MF1 aim to be as cutting edge and dynamic as the places that we visit.

"Underneath the new team image is still the same commitment to being successful and underneath our new livery is a car with great potential. Both of our drivers have shown some excellent performances this year but I hope the extra lift we have all received recently will spur them on to achieving something special this weekend."