Korean GP receives promoters' award

[airshifter]

My point is that I don't see how you could give a promoters' award to Korea, when we didn't even know if there would be a race two weeks before the race, the tarmac was so recently laid that it caused serious concern, there was a serious lack of cranes in the circuit and, lastly, the drainage was so miserably poor (if existant) that the race had to be red-flagged because of visibility concerns. In addition to this, I have never liked the concept of building a city around a circuit - it sounds truly pretentious to me.

I don't think that I would give a promoters' award to anybody, but in any case, giving it to Korea is blatant hypocrisy. The fact that they were the only ones to celebrate a new Grand Prix in 2010 doesn't mean that they actually did a great job.

And this doesn't have to do with whether the race was entertaining or not - it certainly was, but not at all because of excellent management.

People were concerned, but the tarmac turned out fine. The cranes I can agree with, but this is a learning curve for them and the crane operators, and we have seen tracks with the same issues that have run races for years and years. Brazil comes to mind with poor drainage and crane use resulting in taking out a chunk of the field and also endangering drivers/operators at the same time.

I didn't notice any real drainage problems in Korea. As hard as it was raining it seemed the track stayed in resonable shape, there was just too much water coming down.


As for building the city around the circuit, only time will tell. But I think it has huge potential myself. Could you imagine if Monaco was a dedicated circuit but had the same structures surrounding it, as well as run off areas and such?

[ioan]

...the drainage was so miserably poor (if existant) that the race had to be red-flagged because of visibility concerns.

That had more to do with the rain than the drainage.

[Big Ben]

That had more to do with the rain than the drainage.

For once I agree with Ioan. It was the rain not the drainage. The drainage would have worked perfectly if it hadn't rain.

[Valve Bounce]

For once I agree with Ioan. It was the rain not the drainage. The drainage would have worked perfectly if it hadn't rain.

Tres Drol Garcon!!

[BDunnell]

How ridiculous. Leaving aside the fact that the facility was unfinished even on race weekend, the crowd size was, as everyone knew it would be, woeful. All Korea proved to be was another example of how taking F1 to new markets doesn't work if said market simply isn't really interested in the sport.

[schmenke]

The award sets the wrong precedent to other wanna-be event organisers who might see it acceptable to host a race with incomplete facilities.