The RS01 car debuted at the 1977 British Grand Prix, but initially the turbo engine (a first for Formula One) was fragile and suffered from severe turbo lag, making it difficult to drive on tight circuits.
O RS01 debutou no Gran Premio do Reino Unido de 1977, pero nun principio o motor turbo (o primeiro na Fórmula 1) era fráxil e sufría dun grave atraso no turbo, polo que era difícil de conducir en circuítos estreitos.