The RB8 features a slot cut into the step of the nose section, although Adrian Newey claimed this has no use other than to aid cooling for the driver.

However, Red Bull dismissed claims and pointed out that the hole was within the regulations, as the part in question has been introduced at the Bahrain Grand Prix and had subsequently passed every scrutineering session.

This practice was banned for 2012, with the regulations dictating the position of the exhaust outlet and requiring teams to observe a linear relationship between the degree to which the throttle was opened and the amount of torque being produced by the car.

Red Bull were accused of abusing this relationship in medium-speed corners, allowing their throttle to be more open than it should be for the amount of torque being produced.

Although the effect was less than that created in 2011, Bauer felt that this practice had the potential to produce more downforce, and even serve as a rudimentary form of traction control if applied under certain conditions.

[17] After three pre-season tests, one in Jerez and two in Barcelona, the RB8 arrived at the opening round of the 2012 Formula One season and its first race - the Australian Grand Prix.

At the following round, in Malaysia, the cars had a similar qualifying performance to Australia, but wet weather prevented them from replicating the previous race result.

Two weeks later at the Monaco Grand Prix, things were looking far better for the team, as Webber took pole position after Michael Schumacher was penalised.

Vettel, for the second race in succession, intentionally did not complete a full timed lap in the final part of qualifying, and started ninth.

Webber eventually won the race to take the team's third successive win in the principality, while Vettel moved up to fourth and finished just 1.3 seconds behind the winner.

After the FIA had deemed a hole in the floor of the RB8 illegal, the team had arrived at the Canadian Grand Prix with a slightly altered car.

Vettel qualified on pole position, and after a close fight with Hamilton and Alonso for the majority of the race, finished fourth after making an extra stop due to poor tyre degradation.

At the British Grand Prix, Webber qualified in second and Vettel was fourth at a wet Silverstone, where new championship leader Alonso took his first pole position of the season.

This improved pace in the RB8's main rival continued at the Italian Grand Prix as Hamilton took the McLaren MP4-27 to its third successive victory.

Vettel suffered another alternator failure and Webber spun violently at the Ascari chicane, with the resultant damage to his tyres sending vibrations through the car that forced him to retire.

The teams unanimously agreed to ban its use for the 2013 season after the Hungarian Grand Prix, but despite this Lotus made a version which they attempted to use before Red Bull.

Webber lost one place at the first corner and then was spun by Romain Grosjean meaning he had to fight his way through the grid to finish ninth.

At the Indian Grand Prix, Vettel took pole and Webber qualified second to take the team's third successive front row lock-out.

In 2018, MotoGP champion Marc Márquez and Dani Pedrosa drove the RB8 in Toro Rosso STR13 livery at the Red Bull Ring circuit.