Bottas denies Mercedes are one second ahead of the field

Heading into this month's Australian GP, Valtteri Bottas has denied that Mercedes have a big lead over the rest of the field.

Red Bull's Helmut Marko has said that the difference between Mercedes and his team is down to the comparison between the Mercedes and Renault engines.

Marko told the media: "We have the better chassis but the difference is in the engine."

An analysis has predicted that in a race situation on a long run with a full tank of fuel, the Silver Arrows could be up to a second quicker than the Red Bull.

The two teams have dominated this decade of Formula One, with Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel winning four constructors' and drivers' titles between 2010 and 2013, before Mercedes took over, winning all four constructors title since. Three of the drivers' titles have gone to Lewis Hamilton with the other won by Nico Rosberg in 2016.

Valtteri Bottas has been Hamilton;s team-mate since Rosberg's abrupt retirment from the sport, just days after winning his world title, and the Finn denied that his team have such a lead over Red Bull, insisting "we are definitely not a second ahead of the others."

Ferrari will also be hoping to be in the mix for a first constructors' title since 2008, but if the analysis is correct, Mercedes are likely to still be the car to beat in Melbourne.