RBR designer Adrian Newey has admitted that he is worried at the amount of performance the champion team may have lost through the FIA's ban on exhaust blown diffusers, saying that it was "frustrating" to lose such design avenues.
Newey's latest F1 design, the Red Bull RB8, was launched on Monday afternoon, with the team hoping that the car can bring them a third season of title triumphs.
The new car is the first to be built around the FIA's new blown diffuser ban, which comes into effect for the start of 2012.
And while many believe that McLaren had a more efficient blown diffuser compared to Red Bull in 2011, the designer admits he is concerned that the team has lost a crucial chunk of performance in the ban.
"We have lost the exhaust technology with the restriction exhaust outlet position that we were able to develop and perhaps be ahead of the pack on in the last couple of years," he mused regarding the new rules.
"That led to a big rethink over the winter. Whether that will affect us more than other people is difficult to know of course.
"We designed the RB7, last year's car, around that exhaust position and were probably the only people to do so, so it may be that we've lost more than other people through that.
"Only time will tell. It will be good to get out to do some testing and to see where we get to."
Asked if he felt frustrated by F1's rule changes, he added: "Regulation restrictions like the lost exhaust are a bit frustrating in truth, because they are exactly that, they are restrictions.
"They're not giving new opportunities or revenues particularly, they're just closing a door. Regulation changes I enjoy, regulation restrictions I rather lament."
He also suggested that the rules forced him into making extra changes to the design of the car in 2012.
"Probably one of the key things [we had to change] is the rear ride height," he mused.
"The exhaust allowed us to run a high rear ride height. it's much more difficult without that to sustain a high rear height so we have to go back down and have to redevelop the car around that lower ride height."
And ahead of the car hitting the track on Tuesday, he added: "People often ask just before the new car runs, what's the expectation for this year and my answer is always, I have absolutely no idea.
"We know what we have done through the winter, we know how we have developed the car but we have absolutely no idea what everybody else has done."
Meanwhile, Red Bull's team boss Christian Horner suggested that the team was aiming for nothing less than the defence of their 2011 titles this coming season.
"The team's goals are quite simple," he bellowed, "It's to try and defend both titles in the manner [in which] we achieved them.
"Of course, when you've achieved what we have, particularly in 2011, we've set a very high standard for ourselves. But, we're always looking to improve, we're always looking, in all areas, to try and do better."
But he admitted that he was expecting there to be a bigger challenge from their rivals in the coming year, saying: "McLaren have a strong team, they've got strength and depth and two world class drivers.
"Fernando Alonso: everyone knows his capability, and Ferrari also being a great team. We have Kimi Raikkonen coming back as well.
"Mercedes also look like they're going to be competitive, so I think Formula 1 is set for an exciting year and...our goals and objectives are to try and stay ahead of our rivals and build on the success that we have [had] and build on the lessons that we've learned in 2011."
He concluded: "We certainly don't underestimate the quality of our opponents, but we're going into 2012 with a lot of determination to keep the two trophies in their cabinets."
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