Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has admitted that the team is keeping its cards close to its chest ahead of the 2012 season.

Under the glare of the F1 world's eyes, the title-defending RB8 has been in action for four days at Jerez recently.

But when the Adrian Newey-designed car was officially launched, the team refused to host a traditional unveiling ceremony, instead releasing a short animated video.

"We didn't want it photographed at the first opportunity from every side by our competition," admitted team boss Horner to Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

Amid Red Bull's meteoric recent success, rival teams have copied the blown diffuser and flexible wing concepts, and this year's 'step' noses are all the result of yet another Newey design philosophy beneath the chassis.

"At last year's launch at Valencia there were 100 photographers all taking shots from the roof of the pits," Briton Horner exclaimed.

"In no time at all, everyone knew every dimension of our car."

So, in 2012, some mysteries about the RB8 continue to exist -- one is the real or secondary function of the letterbox-style nose slot, and another is an unlaunched development of the exhaust layout.

The letterbox-style hole on the Red Bull's stepped nose immediately drew the attention of the F1 paddock when it was launched. Newey claims that the opening in the new RB8′s stepped nose is merely for driver cooling. However, due to the size of the opening, it is likely that the drivers would get their feet wet when it rains.

"Last year we had to have the blown diffuser out early," explained Horner, "because we had to find out how the exhaust gases affected the tyres.

"This time, the secret is in the detail, and you don't want to give your competition too much of a helping hand," he smiled.