Red Bull Motorsports
F1
F1 Showrun Belfast: 5 things you should know about the RB8
Ahead of the F1 Showrun in Belfast, we look at some of the most interesting facts about the Red Bull Racing’s 2012 car, the RB8.
F1 fans in Northern Ireland can rejoice, as Red Bull Racing is bringing their F1 Showrun to the streets of Belfast City Centre. In fact, this is the second time the four-time F1 World Champion will be in Belfast, as in 2010 RBR and David Coulthard put on a spectacular show for motorsports fans from all over the country.
Throwback: David Coulthard donuts in the streets of Belfast
© undefined Predrag Vuckovic/Red Bull Content Pool
This time around, David Coulthard will be driving the RB8 from the 2012 F1 season, so here are five things you should know about the stunning RB8.
1. It’s a double championship winning car
2012 – Three times World Champs!
© Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool
The ultimate win for a team in Formula One is winning not only the Constructor’s Championship but also claiming the Driver’s Championship. For the third year in a row, Red Bull Racing took home both championships in the RB8, making it Sebastian Vettel’s and the team’s third championship in total. The RBR cars from the V8 era are a thing of legend, so you don’t want to miss this gem of a racing car in the streets of Belfast.
2. The RB8 is also an award-winning car
Class of 2012
© Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool
For the third year running, a Red Bull Racing car took home the Autosport award for Racing Car of the Year in 2012. It’s no surprise considering the RB8 won seven races, took home four 2nd places and three 3rd places. That season RBR accumulated 460 points and won their third double-championship!
3. The engine weighs only 95kg – 50kg lighter than the current engines used
Who's ready to hear some V8 engines?
© Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool
The 2.4-litre V8 engines, used up until the 2014 season, were much lighter than the current 1.6-litre V6 turbo engines. The good news here is that fans attending the F1 Showrun in Belfast will get to relive the rambunctious sound of the V8 engine, the loss of which fans and pundits alike have lamented in the current hybrid ear. And trust us, there’s nothing quite like the sound of 18,000 rpms reverberating around the high buildings of a city centre.
4. Niki Lauda, Thierry Henry and 25,000 other faces made up the livery
A close-up of the special edition livery at the 2012 British GP
© Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool
For the British GP in 2012, the RB8 was specially-branded and featured more than 25,000 photos that had been sent in by fans. RBR fans across the world uploaded their photos and donated to Wings for Life, a charity set-up to support spinal cord injury research projects, and the team matched the total raised by the fans. There were some famous faces on the car too, including F1 driver Niki Lauda and footballer Thierry Henry.
5. The RB8 was Adrian Newey’s 9th championship-winning car
Adrian Newey with Sebastian Vettel and Christian Horner in 2012
© Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool
During Adrian Newey’s 30 years in Formula One, the king of aerodynamics has designed 10 championship winning cars, four of which were for Red Bull Racing from 2010-13. After a tough season and one of the most intense championship finals in F1 history (yes, we’re talking about THAT 2012 race in Brazil), Newey admitted to being frustrated with RB8. Despite this, Newey and the team were able to claim both titles with the feisty car.
