"It's not just Ferrari, Red Bull are also looking pretty confident. As the rules are remaining stable, the advantage in Melbourne will be with the team that worked the best in the winter.

 

"We can feel our rivals breathing down our necks, which is a great stimulus for all of us," said Allison.

 

World champion Lewis Hamilton agrees that the end of the championship battle in 2019 means that Mercedes can start to prepare for 2020 at the final two races of the season.

 

"It's almost a different approach for us now," he said. "We can be a little more aggressive with different strategies and different ways of doing things.

 

"I think there are only six days rather than eight days of testing before the first race, so every little advantage we can get by adapting and being dynamic could pay dividends next year," Hamilton added.