Red Bull RB8 launch – first pictures and video of Red Bull’s 2012 F1 car
2012 F1 cars
The Red Bull RB8, the car the team aim to defend their championship titles with, was revealed today in Jerez.
Its predecessors the RB7 and RB6 won two constructors’ championships and took Sebastian Vettel to a pair of drivers’ titles. Red Bull will be hoping the RB8 can make it three in a row.
There is little change at the team which has been the dominant force in F1 for the last two-and-a-half years. Vettel and Mark Webber form the driving line-up, and Adrian Newey remains at the head of the technical team.
Red Bull RB8 pictures
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- Red Bull RB8, 2012
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- Red Bull RB8, 2012
Red Bull RB8 launch video
2012 F1 cars
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- Mercedes W03 spotted testing at Silverstone
- Williams FW34 launch: First pictures of their 2012 F1 car
- Toro Rosso STR7 – first pictures and video of Toro Rosso’s 2012 F1 car
- Red Bull RB8 launch – first pictures and video of Red Bull’s 2012 F1 car
- Sauber C31 launch – first pictures and video of Sauber’s 2012 F1 car
Browse all 2012 F1 cars articles
Image © Red Bull/Getty images
Jake said on 6th February 2012, 17:06
I agree, it sprung to my mind that Red Bull seem to a bit cagey of the rear end, I do not recall seeing any shot from directly behind the car. Not necessarily are they cheating but hiding either an innovation or a weakness maybe? I find the positioning of the exhaust exit interesting, quite low down compared to others? Underneath the suspension at a horizontal angle.
BBT (@bbt) said on 6th February 2012, 18:54
Interesting didn’t Scarbs say the Mclaren boys had gone for the lowest and most rear position allowed… but this is lower.
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner) said on 7th February 2012, 10:03
I spotted that as well. At no point in the longer of the two videos did I see anything like a diffuser.
jonchuckle (@jonchuckle) said on 6th February 2012, 17:11
Nice to see Total aren’t just crapping up Lotus’s livery this year, I suppose.
Fixy (@fixy) said on 6th February 2012, 17:33
Normal-looking Red Bull, if it weren’t for the nose (which at least has an innovative inlet) and the “Total” logos on the wings which add useless red to the car.
mike-e (@mike-e) said on 6th February 2012, 17:43
Maybe instead of having a passive F-duct or stalling device, he’s using the (probable) slot in the nose to feed air through the car and into the diffuser so in high speed corners its still getting a boost and sticking to the track better. As far as i understand, with Mercedes using the hole in the nose to channel air to stall the front wing, this should still be legal shouldn’t it?
west (@west) said on 6th February 2012, 18:06
Vettel will name the RB8 ugly betty.
Apex (@apex) said on 6th February 2012, 21:10
just saw you beat me to it! +1
BBT (@bbt) said on 6th February 2012, 18:59
To anyone that think that slot is used for a front blown wing, how is the air going to travel back on itself over a foot to get to the front wing?
Its most likely for KERS cooling or to the floor and diffuser for extra rear DF
Mads (@mads) said on 6th February 2012, 20:01
Why shouldn’t it travel backwards?
A Tuba works with only the force of your lungs, and that blows air forwards and backwards a number of times.
I don’t think you should underestimate the force of air at over 200mph.
wdf2 said on 6th February 2012, 20:03
Glad you asked! Here is Scarborough’s great analysis of the (alleged) Mercedes blown front wing in 2011. (I link to the update blog, as this links back to the very detailed original post.) I won’t try to summarize all of his analysis. In short, it is unproblematic to blow air from the nose hole (Mercedes, or step nose slot in the case of Red Bull) and direct it out from small holes along the leading edge of the wing. One possible benefit: At high speeds (so called End Of Straight or EOS conditions) the front wing is “blown” and loses downforce, which has the effect of raising the front and means the car can run an overall lower front ride height.
http://scarbsf1.wordpress.com/2011/10/24/update-mercedes-f-duct-front-wing/
Poul said on 6th February 2012, 21:09
Yes, you can easily lead the air forward but if you don’t wan’t the same air pressure at the exit hole you need that hole to point backwards – hence fold the airflow twice. Once at 180° and again at at least 90°. Every fold creates resistance and you need to place these 270° fold within a very confined space. I doubt that’s the case.
BBT (@bbt) said on 6th February 2012, 21:34
Yes I’ve read that piece, but their inlet is at the tip of the nose.
wdf2 said on 6th February 2012, 21:47
True that leading air forward (in a closed environment with the exits pointing leeward) is unproblematic. But you might be right about the challenges of “folding” the air in such a short/confined space. However, given Newey’s obsession with the front wing ride height, I wouldn’t be surprised. If not, KERS cooling is equally useful.
Poul said on 6th February 2012, 20:10
Exactly right – there is no way to lead dead air forward unlike the high pressure exhaust air. I don’t think it goes to the diffuser either as it would be forced downward – hence causing a lift on the way.
Then the final three options are cooling or rear wing but it doesn’t look there is a possible path toward the rear wing that wouldn’t create another lift and the volume of air would be pretty insignificant anyway.
So cooling it is – unless it’s really cannon hole !!! :-)
BBT (@bbt) said on 6th February 2012, 21:36
KERS cooling is my guess as well as that is where their 2011 problem was.
Liam McShane (@motor_mad) said on 6th February 2012, 20:31
I dont know if this has already been mentioned but could somebody enlighten me on what the vent is at the point of the step-up nose meets the bulkhead?
Poul said on 6th February 2012, 20:56
Well, when a step-nose like Prost met a bulk-head like Senna there was always a lot of venting going on!
Apex (@apex) said on 6th February 2012, 21:02
I wonder what Vettel will name this one? I suggest “Ugly Betty” ;)
2008- “Julie”
2009- “Kate” and then “Kate’s Dirty Sister”
2010- “Luscious Liz” and “Randy Mandy”
2011 – “Kinky Kylie”
Tim Crimson (@tim-crimson) said on 6th February 2012, 21:20
As he’s German it has to be “Ugly Uschi”.
McLaren23 said on 6th February 2012, 21:44
Another broken nose??? What is this?,almost all the cars except McLaren have broken noses this year?
Anti-RBR (@matt2208) said on 6th February 2012, 22:27
Red Bull Are only in the Sport to get that RedBull logo out there. they aint gunna change there livery. Im sick of seeing the Bulls Everywhere.
F1fanNL (@f1fannl) said on 7th February 2012, 1:03
He says with an avatar that exist of 50% vodafone logo, 2% Hamilton helmet, 10 of grey car and 38% of background.
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner) said on 7th February 2012, 10:05
Well said, sir! @f1fannl
rubes said on 7th February 2012, 6:07
From what i can see of it, and what i’ve read/heard, that slot would run all the way through to the diffuser as a “replacement” for the blown systems they use to run last year.
With the basic principal of the diffuser being the heated air, it wouldn’t be difficult to run the intake through a valve/tube or area near to the engine, gearbox etc creating some substantial heat and in part giving a hot blown diffuser solution.
Just IMO
raymondu999 (@raymondu999) said on 7th February 2012, 7:09
I’m very interested in that nose. @keithcollantine are there any better, or even real pics around of that nose?
People are saying it’s a vent/slot/hole but I’m not convinced. I’m wondering actually – could they be potentially playing on hollow point aerodynamics?
Jabbah said on 7th February 2012, 8:39
Exactly what I’ve been thinking. There are some clearer shots but I think they were taken from the video:
Watching the video too, there is clearly no visible slot. If there is one it is very slim and out of sight.
MParallel said on 8th February 2012, 14:49
I must be the only one/one of few people who like the nose. Not per se from a design perspective, but for shear character and something so unusual and weird that it’s nice.
But please, someone explain to me. Why did teams with the hump chose for such a radial drop to the nose? McLaren just has a lower overal chassis I understand. But with the teams having the high cockpit, low nose, what would prevent any team from using a longer, large(r) radius slope to give a smooth look. I mean, the rules apply to the tip of the nose right, not that the first 50/75cm have to be flat? (McLaren wouldn’t pass regulations then…). Otherwise I couldn’t think of all teams (except McLaren) with all independently designing a more or less identical “hard” drop from cockpit to nose.