INTERNATIONAL: Reigning Formula One world champion Max Verstappen's Red Bull car has hit the track for the first time this year on the opening morning of pre-season testing.

Verstappen, driving a car branded with the number one instead of his usual 33 to note his new status, rolled out of the garage in the RB18 on Wednesday morning.

Red Bull's new car had not been seen over the "launch season" as the team opted to unveil a new livery on a show car in what was effectively a launch of its new five-year, $500 million sponsorship deal with Oracle.

Rivals Mercedes and the midfield teams hoping to make a step forward, like Ferrari, McLaren and Aston Martin, had all debuted their new cars on track over the past fortnight.

With Red Bull technical director Adrian Newey considered the best in the business there is always interest in the team's new car at the start of a season and that only has only increased this season as it is the first car at the start of the huge aerodynamic rule change F1 has brought into force this season.

The car has a very different sidepod to anything else seen so far, with the inlet built with a huge undercut not seen on any other rival design. Red Bull has also opted not to incorporate the sidepod "louvres" that have appeared on the Mercedes, Aston Martin and Ferrari, the parts of the car which have earned comparisons to shark fins and cheese graters.