Speaking on the Dutch TV show Jinek, Marko – who is Red Bull's motorsport advisor – also said that a step forward by engine supplier Renault should move it closer to Mercedes in the horsepower stakes too.

“The car is ready,” said Marko. “The car, I guess you want to know what the car is like? Sexy and race-y.

“It’s an aggressive-looking car and the data, the information we have, [is] looking good. But, you know, on our simulator we are the only car, so only when we are at the test we see how the others are.

“We are sure we will have a very good chassis. Renault promised us more horsepower than last year for the start of the season and around Barcelona another upgrade, so we should be horsepower wise nearer to Mercedes.”

Hamilton wary of threat

Mercedes ace Lewis Hamilton has already voiced his concern that Red Bull will pose a bigger threat in 2017 due to the new aerodynamic regulations.

“The big unknown is Red Bull,” Hamilton told the BBC. “They always create an amazing car, and this is a new era of downforce and they are amazing at creating [that].

“It will be really interesting to see what they pull out.

“It’s a completely new slate,” he said of the 2017 pecking order. “It might be Ferrari at the front, it might be Red Bull, we really have no idea.

“I really hope it’s close, so we’ll be fighting with Ferrari and we’re fighting with Red Bull. That’s ultimately what fans want to see.”

Additional reporting by Erwin Jaeggi