 The Grandstand and track of the 2010 F1 Korean Grand Prix venue in Yeongam, South Jeolla Province, at nighttime. Despite some foreign media’s doubts, the race track will be ready before the final inspection scheduled for Monday. / Courtesy of KAVO |
By Yoon Chul
With only 19 days left before race day at the first Formula 1 Korean Grand Prix, final touches are being put on the brand new racetrack in Yeongam, South Jeolla Province.
There have been brewing suspicions over the track construction for the event, leading the final inspection by the International Automobile Federation (FIA) to be moved from Sept. 22 to Oct. 11.
Officials from the Korea Auto Valley Operation (KAVO), which is in charge of the race, seem confident that the Korean Grand Prix will run successfully as scheduled from Oct. 22 to 24, with no problems ahead of the final inspection.
“The construction of the venue is now 98 to 99 percent complete,” Kim Jae-ho, KAVO general manager for marketing and communication, told The Korea Times, Tuesday.
“Before the inspection the only thing left to do is working on the surface of the track. The inspection team may put first priority on safety and appropriateness of the racetrack ahead of other factors such as cleanliness and makeshift stands,” Kim said.
The FIA inspection team will check the track and determine whether the run-off area is long enough to guarantee driver’s safety, and that tire barriers are positioned at the correct locations. And the team will also run a simulated race.
In addition to the racetrack surface, they are finalizing work on the entrance road, pedestrian overpass and stands.
“The FIA prohibits the use of the track until the race begins. That’s why we have been delaying the completion of the construction,” Kim said.
The final work on the racetrack started Tuesday and will take about six days, including three days to cure the asphalt.
Some foreign press reported the track surface was a key concern.
Kim, the KAVO official, revealed why the final inspection date had been postponed.
“When F1 Race Director and Safety Delegate Charlie Whiting came to Korea in July, we received permission to postpone the inspection. Instead we had to submit a daily report to the FIA,” Kim said.
“At the time the FIA designated Sept. 22 as the final inspection date but we realized later that it fell on one of Korea’s biggest traditional holidays, Chuseok.
“As the FIA officials would likely be stuck in traffic during the holiday, we explained the situation and FIA replied that they would consider changing the date to early October and recently notified us of the amended date,” Kim said.
Despite the rule that the final inspection should be done six weeks before the race, many inaugural Grand Prix sites have failed to make it.
“We also tried to keep the date. For us, the toughest factor toward that end was weather. It rained too much. The weather was totally different from past seasons.
“Though Korea’s construction companies have world-class techniques, building a circuit is unfamiliar to them,” Kim said.
“Frankly speaking, we have little experience in building racetracks. However, despite the postponed construction, the track and venue will provide the perfect circumstances for the race,” Kim said. “The Grandstand — the main stand — has a capacity of 13,000. And the spectators will see the race from the closest seats. I’ve been to other circuits in the world. But objectively, the Korean GP venue offers the closest view.”
The inspection team including Whiting will come to Korea for a final examination after completing their inspection of the Japanese Grand Prix racetrack on Oct. 10.
