Korean Grand Prix: Drivers unhappy with the Korean F1 Circuit
The first day at the new Korean F1 circuit went well and incident free, with Red Bull’s Mark Webber comfortably ahead of his title challengers. However, after the practice, there were words of criticism from drivers and teams,
and complaints were made over some aspects of the newly built circuit.
A majority of the drivers said that the entry to the pit lane is not safe, and may end up causing problems on race day.
The entry to the pit lane is very close to a blind final corner on the lap, and the general consensus is that when drivers decide to go into the pit, they would have to slow down and the cars continuing on their flying laps would
have to adjust their speeds according to the car in front of them.
Lotus Racing driver Jarno Trulli said that that it is very dangerous and is not a matter to be ignored.
Trulli went on to say that another problem with the track is that the pit exit layout can also be improved. He added that drivers and teams should have been consulted before making such a design. Trulli said that it is beyond him
why drivers are not consulted in such a decision; after all, it is the driver who is in the cockpit racing at speeds of 3000 kms an hour. Trulli, who has been an F1 driver since 2007, said that during practice, his car gear got stuck twice and that was due
to the pit corners and he found it hard to adjust to the track.
The concerns expressed by Trulli were also echoed by current championship leader Mark Webber and Robert Kubica from Renault. Kubica, who actually did very well in practice and ended 4th, said that the corner may prove
to be quite tight every time a driver decides to pit, and it needs to be addressed.
Kubica said that if the car in front of him decides to take a pit, he would be forced to take a very tight line on the track which may end up being quite risky.
The Korean circuit had been under construction for a while and there were doubts as to whether it would be ready in time for the race. The construction was delayed by 2 months due to wet weather and it was not until the 12th of
October that it was ready and approved by the FIA.
The controversial pit lane entry was at top of the agenda, but there were also complaints about the effects of last-minute construction. The drivers also complained about dust on the tracks and an unstable surface.
However, despite open complains from Webber, Kubica and Trulli, there were others who enjoyed the track and were almost completely satisfied. Reigning world champion Jenson Button of McLaren said that he actually liked the track,
and admitted that he got used to the track pretty quickly.
"I'm enjoying the circuit and felt we got to grips with it pretty quickly. The track feels quite flowing,” he said.
"There was a lot of dust which is the only problem. If you put a wheel slightly off line there is a huge amount of dust which might be a problem during the race."
BMW Sauber driver Nick Heidfeld said that the track was great fun; he added that he had taken a walk on the track a day earlier, and thought that it looks quite fun and challenging, and the actual experience was much better than
he anticipated. Heidfeld added that the organizers have done a great job, and it would test the abilities of the drivers to the limit as it has the characteristics of at least 3 of the best circuits from around the world.
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