Yeongam track nearing crucial deadline
With Korea’s first Formula One Grand Prix poised to take place in just over a month, the organizations involved with Yeongam’s planning are starting to strain under the increasing pressure of deadlines. Charlie Whiting, from the Fédération Internationale
de l'Automobile (FIA), has moved the inspection date to September 28. It is the latest in a series of delays which has plagued the track since construction, despite FIA’s rule that tracks need to be inspected at least 90 days before the scheduled race.
Korean International Circuit manager, Jason Cho, admits that he is stressed about the upcoming deadlines, but maintains faith that his hard-working crew will get the job done, despite the Korean Chusok (Thanksgiving) being celebrated next week. “It will
be ready, it’s a must,” he states, according to the Associated Press. “If we don’t finish then we don’t have an event, so it will be done.”
Cho stresses that the majority of difficulties facing the construction has been environmental. “There has been a lot of rain compared to most years and all this land was all wetland and we had to take all the water out first. Seventy percent of the work
was because of hardening the land. If it was just regular land, we could have done it in a year. That made it more technical.”
For South Korea, which has prospered significantly in the last fifty years, completing the circuit on time is vital for the national image. Having hosted several successful sporting events, Korea has become more prominent on the world stage of sport. Deputy
marketing manager Peter Baek says, “The Korean construction industry is very developed and at a high standard. We work fast and get the job done. We have seen in the past at the 2002 World Cup and the 1988 Olympics, there were always questions of ‘are you
guys ready,’ but we always got it done and we are positive that the venue will be ready, and it is almost ready.”
According to espnf1.com, FIA appears to share the sentiment in their statement regarding progress of the track. “The FIA has been receiving weekly updates from its inspector in Korea and the construction company with regard to the track and its safety installations
[and] is satisfied with the progress even though a lot of work remains to be completed.” Echoing their expectations, F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone states, “There are problems but we assume that the race can take place … the circuit is definitely ready, but as for
all the buildings, perhaps not.”
The Korean Grand Prix is scheduled for October 22-24.
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