Comments on: FIA breaking own rules to make Korean GP happen

By: kaoru

kaoru — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 16:28:47 +0000

http://www.hankyung.com/news/app/newsview.php?aid=2010091201681

This article (written in korean. Read with a web translateor ) reports that KoreaGP heavily slumps in ticket sales and is going to suffer huge deficit because lack of turnover and expensive holding fee paid to FOM.

I think it is difficult for Korean GP to fulfill its 7-year contract even if the venue were completed and passed FIA course inspections before the deadline.

By: Prisoner Monkeys

Prisoner Monkeys — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 07:57:11 +0000

Picture of progress so far:

http://pds19.egloos.com/pds/201009/01/69/a0010769_4c7dc20c30781.jpg

By: adamcooperf1

adamcooperf1 — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:17:31 +0000

Yes if you read the rules as quoted in the story, it clearly says all work related to the track surface has to be completed. And that goes for street tracks too, although clearly they have a bit more leeway with barriers etc.

By: Patrickl

Patrickl — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 16:34:14 +0000

Does “final inspection” actually mean that the track needs to be finished?

Maybe they have a project plan with milestones and if they can prove that they are still on schedule during the “final inspection” they could be good to go?

I can’t imagine all of the other new tracks being finished 2 or 3 months ahead of the race.

By: adamcooperf1

adamcooperf1 — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:50:12 +0000

That’s what we’re waiting to find out.

By: Robert McKay

Robert McKay — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:37:20 +0000

If the FIA are breaking their own rules to do late inspections, would they break the rule about dropping Korea from 2011 if it did indeed have to be cancelled for this season…?

By: Prisoner Monkeys

Prisoner Monkeys — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 20:18:06 +0000

I get where you’re coming from, too, but so long as the basic work has been done, it shouldn’t be too difficult to seal the circuit.

The organisers erred in releasnig pictures of the buislings rather than the circuit proper, but you can clearly see the surface in some of those pictures. I honestly think Korea is getting so much flak because there’s a pervading belief among fans that the sport is visiting another country it has no business going to.

By: adamcooperf1

adamcooperf1 — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:37:40 +0000

Interesting stuff. I understand what you are saying but race tracks have very specific requirements in terms of both smoothness and ability to withstand the forces put through by the tyres of F1 cars. And clearly the FIA knows that if a surface hasn’t been down long enough there could be issues. BTW the rules say white lines do have to be there – apart from anything else there is a question of penalties for those not complying with them!

By: adamcooperf1

adamcooperf1 — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:34:28 +0000

Good point. But I heard that Korean companies are not falling over themselves to take up Paddock Club hospitality and so on. Someone even told me last weekend that LG had cancelled some of its plans…

By: melonfarmer

melonfarmer — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:27:09 +0000

Now the Japanese manufacturers have fled, is this falling over backward to accomodate the Koreans an open invitation to Hyundai, Samsung etc.? LG being an official partner would suggest that F1 is not going to do anything as embarrasing as pulling the race at the last minute.