The new car, which features the controversial mandatory-for-2018 overhead cockpit protection ‘Halo’ device, was publicly unveiled ahead of pre-seson testing.

"The pattern of the last few years has been to launch 'aggressively late'," Red Bull's announcement read. "This has allowed the design department the maximum amount of time to add goodness to the car before the cut-off point at which the design is frozen and a launch car produced.

"It's been not uncommon to have the car finished, fired up for the first time and shipped to Spain for the start of testing all on the same day.

"It serves a purpose – but you wouldn't do it if you didn't have to, and this year we didn't have to.

"It's preferable to finish the car early and deal with any snags now, when the car is on a track a short drive from the factory, rather than using up one of our eight ultra-precious test days doing the same at the Circuit de Catalunya."

The new car was shown off finished in blue camouflage-style livery instead of the familiar matte finish red and dark blue colours the team used for the past two seasons.

But the blue livery will only be used during testing; the final ‘race’ look of the new Red Bull will be shown later during pre-season testing in Catalunya.

Aston Martin features prominently on the livery design, the British luxury sports car manufacturer having secured naming rights sponsorship.