Following safety complaints from F1 drivers about potential trouble spots on the "almost" ready Yeongam circuit, Korean Grand Prix organisers have decided to make minor modifications to the new Formula 1 track, reminding strongly the controversial fiasco of the 2005 US Grand Prix when safety reasons in the parabolic turn of the F1 layout of the Indianapolis Motor speedway that caused Michelin-backed teams to retire from the race before its start..Although drivers were mostly impressed with the layout of the new Korean track, they requested some changes be made to the venue and after discussions with FIA race director Charlie Whiting, it was agreed that tweaks be made to two areas in particular - the controversial Turn 16 left-hander and the final Turn 18 apex.
With the cars having bottomed out a lot at the Turn 16 apex, with the kerb lower than the track itself, race organisers were obliged to re-profile the kerb in a higher level. This should prevent drivers from being encouraged to cut the corner too much.
Work is also being done to re-profile the wall on the exit of Turn 16.
The end of the wall juts out somewhat awkwardly, and does not have any tires protecting it, filtering in close to the edge of the track on the right hand side exit of the curve, and a car getting out of shape there could have had a massively destructive impact. That caused engineers to move the wall back so it runs parallel to the track. The man who was really on the limit there, and was regularly running closest to the wall, was Mark Webber.
“It’s close. I don’t like to go and watch in a place like that because it scares me. It’s best to be in the car...”
Furthermore, the organisers are building a new apex kerb at the final Turn 18 apex, after drivers kept cutting the corner during free practice - which dragged dirt and stones onto the circuit.
The new kerb will be made lower than the apex of the turn, which will act as a deterrent so drivers do not cut the corner. This should also make the final Turn 17 much more of a kink, with drivers having to be more careful as they exit the long right-hander.
Some tweaks will also be made to the pitlane entry because it was well noted that cars slowing to enter the pits could cause a danger to cars lapping the last ultra-fast corner at speeds up to 175mph.
F1 World Champion, jenson Button commented:
"I'm worried. If the driver in front of you lifts to come in it's going to be very tricky to react fast enough. It's a corner when you're on full speed - 250km/h on the exit - and if someone goes in the pits, they have to lift (off the throttle) quite heavily. That's a bit of a worry, and I don't really know how we're going to get around that issue. It's a horrible position to be in because - what can you do? You're not going to stay out for another lap! It's a tough one and I don't really know what we can do about it."
Fellow title contender Sebastian Vettel added about the blindenss of the corner:
"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. Other than that it is just the fact that it is so slippery and so dusty and dirty online that makes it so tricky. Rejoining the track is very difficult, very low speed and very slippery."
Race director Charlie Whiting agreeded that the white line on the pit entry will be removed and the move will allow drivers coming into the pits not to have to lift through the fast corner before sweeping into the pits.
