Whenever a new race is added to the F1 calendar it’s only a matter of time before stories appear claiming construction problems will prevent the race from happening.
It happened with Abu Dhabi last year and with other purpose-built venues before that and, sure enough, stories claiming the Korean Grand Prix organisers were running behind schedule popped up earlier this week.
Now Bernie Ecclestone has been to the venue and insists everything is running according to plan. Asked whether race would happen he told Reuters “I’m absolutely sure. No doubt at all” and denied claims circuit designer Hermann Tilke had said the circuit won’t be ready in time.
Say what you like about the quality of F1 circuit design (which is always a hotly debated topic on this site) it is unusual these days for a new venue not to be ready in time for its first race. And when construction does run late, as happened with Bahrain in 2004, than manpower and the means are usually found to keep the show on the road.
But with nine flyaway events on F1’s 19-race calendar this year perhaps there’s a reason why the F1 press have talked up stories about the South Korean round being dropped. Here’s Adam Cooper’s thoughts on it via Twitter:
I don’t think anyone will miss it… They’ve made zero attempt to tell the world anything. All we know is that it’s going to be an expensive logistical nightmare to get there.
Adam Cooper
Ecclestone also talked up the chances of a Russian Grand Prix appearing on the calendar in the near future, potentially using the Sochi venue which will host the 2014 Winter Olympics.
2010 Korean Grand Prix
wasiF1
15th April 2010, 9:39
When Bernie Ecclestone says it will happen then i think it will.But the question is will the grandstand will be empty or full?
US Williams Fan
15th April 2010, 9:43
I Totally agree! I have no doubt that it will be built….. but will there be an audience?
LewisC
15th April 2010, 11:18
Bernie said USF1 would be on the grid.
And then Bernie said StefanGP would be on the grid.
The old man’s losing his grip.
I do think the Korean GP will go ahead though.
Joe
15th April 2010, 17:22
Didn’t Bernie also say that Donington would be hosting the British GP? We saw how that worked out too.
slr
15th April 2010, 18:23
The Korean GP has enough money though, unlike Donington.
Untitled258
15th April 2010, 10:00
It is commendable that f1 tracks usually are done on time, compared to something like Wembley stadium which was a debacle.
But they Donnington was never going to be finished on time, maybe its just a british thing which means all projects have to be over due and over budget.
Untitled258
15th April 2010, 10:02
i meant to say “but then donn….” but whatever.
PJA
15th April 2010, 14:18
The main problem with Donnington was lack of money, I can’t remember fully the reasons why Wembley was late but I think finances played a part again.
These new circuits have plenty of money and government backing behind them so it doesn’t really surprise me that they are finished on time.
Joe
15th April 2010, 17:24
They only have plenty of money as long as the key investors (i.e. Korean gov’t) don’t pull out. If there is another serious financial crisis in Asia, don’t be surprised if this race is called off. It isn’t over until it’s over.
Charlie
16th April 2010, 4:21
It’s not just a British thing. There are plenty of other engineering projects worldwode that frequently go over time and budget it’s just that, being in the UK and reading UK press focussed on UK projects, you don’t get to hear about them.
One of the most famous cases is Sydney Opera House which was a ********* in project management terms from start to finish: years late, massively over budget, not completed to spec … and yet, it’s a worldwide recognised national symbol.
People need to get over the cynicism of the British press. Donnington was a failure as Bernie said because of a recession that no one (well, nearly no one) expected. Wembley stadium was run by an Australian company interestingly. Other places like construction in Dubai, India, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi etc. have the luxury of having no human rights and therefore can pay peanuts, work people to death, literally, and throw excessive money at the project without a care.
In our mature (over mature?) economy we don’t have that luxury. Although calling a lack of human rights a luxury puts the morals of some other countries into perspective and makes one ask where one would rather live.
Prisoner Monkeys
15th April 2010, 10:30
Sochi would be nice, because it’s right where the mountains meet the sea … but I’m still concerned that it might be courting danger given that it has the mess that is the North Causacus at its doorstep.
sato113
15th April 2010, 11:51
didn’t see this comment, but i agree (see below)!
sato113
15th April 2010, 11:50
the town of Sochi is desperately near to the caucaus regions of southern russia. there is alot of political unrest and sometimes violence there. not to sure it’d be wise for shiny F1 to rock up bells a’ringin…
bob
15th April 2010, 12:08
If we are looking like that you cant make autoracing in USA, cause everyone has guns there :D
Icthyes
15th April 2010, 20:00
Canada too! Though they’re a little less likely to use them…
Bleu
15th April 2010, 12:50
It’s a bit problematic situation as all these new tracks are built so that there isn’t too much time. What is actually the previous track added to the calendar which was there in the same layout one year before the event? Fuji may have been but before that it’s probably A1-Ring. Earlier there was a rule that a circuit must have at least one event before F1 – is than in place anymore. Fuji probably had some Japanese events, Valencia had Spanish F3 and some GT race a month before F1. But thinking of other venues – might be that F1 race was first on the circuit.
macahan
15th April 2010, 13:41
As far as I can tell all new tracks had at least one other race before F1 got to the track. Might not be the case with the redesigned Bahrain but I think I want to recall that new design had been raced. Even Abu Dahbi had a race on the circuit before F1 came to town to race (GP2 ran a week before).
Mikemat
15th April 2010, 19:27
I think Bahrain’s new configuration had the V8 Supercars run a couple weeks before. Even that race didn’t have much passing and those guys are maniacs when they drive.
Ben
17th April 2010, 8:31
no. V8 Supercars were using the old GP config as they were racing with GP2 Asia, who use that config.
The “Endurance” layout which became the new GP layout was used in sportscar races previously.
Jim N
15th April 2010, 13:27
Looking it the photo’s it looks late to me particularly the track, as they are going to loose one to two months construction because of the rainy season….. if the track isn’t laid early enough and allowed to bed in then it will lift when it’s used due to the grip of current tyres…. that’s happen quite a few times before. I’m sure they will get most of it done, and working long hours it may look OK, but expect track problems on race day!
Steve
15th April 2010, 21:16
Always thought Adam Cooper was an idiot. His comments don’t change my perception.
Gman
17th April 2010, 1:55
I have little doubt the project will be finished on time, but I can see it being just like Shanghai…
– Perhaps some good crowds the first year, then little after that
– All the teams saying they love the place but really not liking it at all
– Boring racing in dry conditions
– Bernie absolutely loving the place, insisting that it will remain on the schedule forever, despite no one else giving a care.
On the bright side, everything I have seen in regards to the Indian venue looks quite good. Apparently it is close to the capital and has a high-speed layout. But the Korean deal looks good for nothing to many people apparently….
Chris Yu Rhee
20th April 2010, 13:31
We are going down to see the Korean track construction and the surrounding towns on May 21. My wife has been in contact with the person in charge of housing for the Korean GP, so I am putting together a “wish list” of what foreigners would need to know. Hopefully he can get them to get the English portion of their website up and functioning.
They are also planning on a camping area, and have about 180 places to stay on a formal list.
I’ll send Kieth pictures and my report if he wants so he can put it up here. We are planning on going if they have camping facilities, as we have a trailer and camp all over Korea. Hopefully it’ll be like Laguna Seca camping-wise.
It’s in B.F.E. location-wise, but it shouldn’t be too bad if they can get the local Min-baks and hotels trained to handle foreigners. Food choices will be a kick, though. I’ll probably have to put together a “guide” to Korean cuisine and customs, because it’s quite different from other countries, especially with regards to spiciness!
Charlie Robinson
29th May 2010, 2:31
Am currently living in Korea. There has been next to no publicity for this event over here whatsoever. No Korean that I have met is even aware of what it is, let alone that there will a race here. I attended the International Motor Show in Busan a couple of weeks ago and there was not so much as a poster up, highlighting that there would be the first ever GP in this country in only 5 months. The tickets have gone on sale at ludicrously expensive prices. The cheapest 3 day pass is just under 200 dollars, which may be acceptable at the likes of Silverstone where there there is a rich culture and large support for F1, but in a country where sporting events rarely cost more than about 20 dollars and are usually less, they have badly misjudged this one.
I suspect they assumed that foreigners would arrive in their droves to fill those spaces, as they do for the likes of Singapore and Shanghai, but with the (much documented) logistical nightmare that it is both getting to and finding somewhere to stay in Mokpo, I find that extremely unlikely. I do not believe that people will be willing to sit in a hire car from the airport for 6 hours (or more) and possibly have to end up sleeping in it too. And that does not take into account the considerable extra expense involved in getting here either.
The Koreans are very good at slowing things down when they need to. My guess is that this may well happen for the 2010 GP, giving them an additional year to pull their finger out and sort things out properly for 2011. I guess we will all find out very soon.