Formula One: Korea's slippery pit-stops worried the drivers
As the Formula One drivers returned from their first day’s practice session at the Korean International Circuit, many of them had serious concerns regarding its dangerous pit stops. The pits were quite slippery which made the positioning of the cars hazardous
for the drivers as well as for the pit workers. Moreover, if they had been over cautious that might have increased their time in the pits which then may have been a decisive factor for the race.
The newly built Korean International Circuit in Yeongam hosted the first ever Korean Grand Prix this Sunday. The caravan of cars cruised through the track. Although, the teams liked many aspects of the track yet some concerns have also been raised, of which
the biggest was about the pit stops.
The construction work on the track was completed only two weeks back. Then, the final inspection took place, thus giving green signal to the race organisers. But, even a day before the inspection, the delayed construction work had posed great threat for
the debut Korean Grand Prix. One threat was giving way to more, as the drivers thought that the pit stops were slippery because of the recently finished work on them.
Even though the cars slowed down before the pit stops, still they normally had speed up to 175mph which could have been quite dangerous.
As drivers talked to the media following the first two practices, Jensen Button of McLaren said that he was much worried as the pit stops here were tricky and reacting fast could become dangerous for one’s self and also for the drivers in front.
The Red Bull driver, Sebastian Vettel also stated similar threats, saying, "I think the pit entry is quite on the edge because it is blind, you cannot see if someone goes in and they have to go slower than someone who stays out. Especially, if you are behind
someone trying to pass and he chooses to pit, it could be difficult.”
Moreover, the track was also dusty and powdery as the last layer of asphalt had recently been laid on it. Some other work by the sides of the track had also been done only a few days back which made the vision blur and thus it was difficult to drive.
However, the seven-time world champion, Michael Schumacher dismissed all such concerns, saying, "I think we have plenty of race tracks where we could talk about those subjects. I don't see anything on the entry and on the exit you must have two very unusual
coincidences to be happening, but in the end it is much less harmless than some drivers have been mentioning."
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