The Korean Grand Prix provided Formula 1 fans with a super performance from Sebastian Vettel, but the hopes of an increase in spectators from 160,000 to 200,000 over the weekend did not become a reality, despite the fact that ticket prices were dropped by 30 percent. The financial results may not be very different, however, as in 2010 thousands of tickets were given away to ensure that the grandstands were full. There has been some criticism of the event in the region because it is not doing as well as had been hoped. The local authorities are involved because they want to use the Grand Prix as part of the plan to develop the South West Coast Tourism & Leisure City mega-project, which is due to be completed by 2025. Without the new city, however, the concept of the race is meaningless and the problems with the world economy mean that international investment in the new city has been lower than hoped. Thus there are noises that are beginning to suggest that the F1 race is not such a great idea. The contract lasts until the 2016 event, with a further five-year option beyond that, and while the local politicians are busy talking about the intangible benefits of the race, opponents are looking at the numbers and there may come a point when the politicians may wish to offload the race. The good news is that there are already whispers that another Korea group might be interested, and would not need to rely on public money.
The Samsung Group accounts for about 20 percent of the country’s exports and has wide-ranging interests in different industries, including consumer electronics, financial services, chemicals, heavy industry, including ship-building, engineering and construction, retail and entertainment, clothing, advertising, education, medical service and general trading. It used to own its own car company as well but this is now largely owned by Renault. Among the many divisions is the Shilla Hotel company, which includes hotels, restaurants and duty free shops. On top of all this the group owns Samsung Everland, the first theme park built in South Korea (back in the 1970s), which is now one of the most-visited in the world. This includes much the as western theme parks, but also own Everland Raceway, which was Korea’s first racing circuit, in addition to Korea’s first car museum.
The track is only 1.5 miles in length and not at all suitable for F1, but there is plenty of room for expansion and the facility is located close to Seoul and a light railway link called EverLine is now completed and will link the park to the Seoul subway system.
There are therefore a number of good reasons why Samsung would be interested in getting involved with the Grand Prix, from a finanical and strategic point of view. There is also a new generation of management gaining more influence and a controversial past which the company would like to get rid of. An involvement with international sporting events is always a good way to win popularity and it is worth noting that since a slush fund scandal in 2008 claimed company chairman Lee Kun-hee, the firm has been integrally involved in winning the 2018 Winter Olympics for the city of Pyeongchang. At the end of 2009 Lee received an official pardon in order to work on the Pyeongchang bid and he has since returned to his previous role as chairman.
joeblogsf1 
“Without the new city, however, the concept of the race is meaningless”. Hit the nail on the head, Joe. You may be able to confirm this, but as I was watching SPEED, Steve Matchett had mentioned that after last year’s GP, the track operators basically just closed and locked the gates. Teams got into their office areas and found last year’s food in the refrigerators. It may still be too early to tell, but the lack of an audience is simple, there’s no easy way to get to the area, it’s not near anything, and there’s not much local interest. The Koreans definitely need to begin developing that area if F1 is to become a worthwhile investment. There’s a picture floating around of Shanghai in 1990 vs. 2010 (http://i.imgur.com/QjeWA.jpg). It would be nice to see that kind of development slowly appear around the track as the years progress.
Enjoy your rest now that you’re back home. Three races to go.
Tom M,
The problem with dealing with governments is that the people change all the time. Thus a good long-term idea may not be considered a good idea by the next lot in power.
I’ve got my data in a twist, for sure, but i think there were about 1000 Chaebol going into the 60s, of which 5 survived. Samsung tried autos. I’d take a unusual view, that the incestuous relations they all shared allowed them to swap roles as well as technology, finding homes for talent. It’s funny, it’s as if British Leyland had a benevolent genius father. In fact (nifty bit of inspired searching) there’s a link right back from Hyundai to BL and via BRM. So, Samsung tried in motors, once, didn’t get it right, wiped mouth, pushed on. Absolutely natural they should be interested in racing. If i seem to be making waving arms arguments, it’s because i’ve never read a good story how these companies are not symbiotic. Maybe consider Samsung as a “soft entry” into the sport for others.
Quite honestly Joe I was watching the GP on Sunday and just could not believe F1 was racing around this lonely track in the middle of nowhere surrounded by what looked like swampland. After the glitter of Singapore and the tradition of Japan, it all seemed rather pointless. Lets hope it does move to Seoul a soon as possible, as there is clearly no sign of the proposed city springing up as was heavily promoted last year.
Seymour,
You have to think about the original plan to turn Yeongam into a city. The trouble is that if that takes 20 years to achieve, F1 is always going to seem out of place.
LG might have something to say about Samsung’s involvement, but apart from that it sounds like a good face saving opportunity.
The current promoter is making noises about using such arguments as fact, logic, viability and the need to break even as discussion points for his negotiation with Bernie, so he’ll fail. After all when have those arguments ever worked with Bernie!!.
20 years from now will the world be littered with tracks built to F1 specs, used for a few years, then abandoned?
I don’t know what you’d call that business plan, but sustainable it isn’t.
Mark Jackson,
So, Albert Park is not sustainable in its 15th year…
In my opinion an F1 business plan has to include government level thinking and must accept intangibles. The problem is that governments change and the next government is often looking for ways to blame the last government for things. F1 is an easy target. Compared to the other major sporting events such as the Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup, F1 is a real bargain.
Sooo…what about all that ‘extra’ money spent by teams and fans as they traveled back from the hinterlands of the coast to exit the country? Surely the fact that you all stayed an extra day or two, and spent all that money on transit, benefits the whole of South Korea?
It seems crazy to me that a circuit just two races old is already apparently swithering about keeping the race for much longer. If the venue doesn’t at least see out its entire initial contract it seems like a horrible waste of money for the region/country.
OK, it seems to have been slow to take off – perhaps everyone expected the Koreans to take to it like the Japanese, or something – but still, seems like the circuit fees to be paid are a bit absurd.
Bernie probably doesn’t care, he’ll get the money either way and there still seems to be plenty other idiots lining up to try and get a slot when financially it makes little sense unless the government is involved.
But I think it’ll paint F1 in a bad light if new venues come in with a fanfare and drop off relatively soon afterwards.
Well then, Bernie should have no problem releasing the other folks from their deal. Oh, wait… 😆
Joe, would you fancy a guess at real race attendance figueres? It seems to me that the 160.000 is significantly inflated (counting 3 day tickets as 3 visits?).
What you write about Samsung seems to make a lot of sense, actually its a shame no one did a deal to build a track there in the first place, nice and close to a bustling city!
BasCB,
The crowd numbers seemed a little inflated on Saturday.
Wow. Head still spinning from the fact that Yeongham is 150miles(or was it 250) away from civilization!!(at least an Airport or hotels). I live in a place where everything is 30-45mins away so that’s beyond anything I can measure LoL. A place Joe, where you said you would hold a GP…..in a ‘perfect’ world, do you remember? Btw, if you ever manage to pull it off, I have the perfect track layout in the city 🙂
Anyway, the Indians should be better at filling a GP grand stand than the Koreans I figure tho.
First time posting on your great blog Joe, keep up the good work never you mind the swank-talkers. You and James Allen are the only source of info for me. 🙂
So this is really a no brainer: The gov’t needed an exciting international event to flog their development in the area? Great, pay the bill and stop complaining that it is TOO expensive. They knew the costs before they signed up. If they miscalculated the income side of the ledger, then again, so sorry, pay the bill.
Koreo seems to have more mammoth congomerates than most other countries – any of which could easily buy the race from their small change… Lucky Goldstar (LG), Sumsung, Hanjin / Hanjin Heavy Industries are just 4 of around 25 massive firms, known as ‘Chaebols’ which have tentacles reaching from Shipping to construction, infrastructure to mining, telecoms to manufacturing…
Hanjin used to sponsor Benettons and then Renault; believe me they could have bought the whole team any day they felt like…
Mark Jackson
> 20 years from now will the world be littered with tracks built to F1 specs,
> used for a few years, then abandoned?
If F1 follows Bernie’s model, which favors wealth extraction over building the sport, the answer is a very certain “yes”, with lots of angry folks in all quarters of the globe. If F1 somehow manages instead to take the long view about who its stakeholders are and what is best for them, then most probably not.
RShack,
It can be both. Building the sport and wealth extraction. It just depends on the locals.
Joe,
as there was a news item on another site suggesting otherwise a few day ago – do you see F1 fulfilling it’s contract until 2015 on the existing track?
Guy from Austria,
F1 stayed in Turkey for the whole contract and I am sure it will stay in Korea. The only way that will change is if the people default on payments and break the contract. Then they would get sued for the money, so they might as well pay it, or if they really don’t want it try to negotiate the switch the race elsewhere. It really depends of politicians and as we know these people came and go.
Did Korea or a local company think about having a racing development program? Because I don’t believe building a racing track will make people suddenly interested in racing as long kids are not being sit on go-karts or something. Nor I believe a foreing tourist would buy a ticket to Seoul or a god-forsaken place nearby (or not that nearby) just to see a F1 race, when he could go to Japan or Singapore or Australia to do this.
Unfortunately Joe (and you don’t need me to point this out), F1 goes where the money is, not where the fan interest is. That is a result of 2 things, a global TV audience and a desire to be seen as exclusive, both of which result in $$$. Businesses/Governments buy GPs for their own ends and the fans that do turn up are merely the lipstick on the pig to legitimise the event..
Once the money isn’t there, F1 moves on like the high tech traveling circus it is.
Meanwhile, the show suffers as we get the double whammy of losing great circuits while having impressive but dull facilities in new ‘markets’ replace them.
Remind me again why I love it so much.
Phillippe duLait,
Show me a business that does not go where the money is…
Ok Joe I’ve read it as you asked and if it can be shoved sideways onto a non government organisations then possibly it can be saved. Otherwise they may decide to default on the contract and with new officials appearing every year, getting payment after the court proceedings may be difficult. As a government they may decide just not to pay.
But while considering taking it over, one has to remember the 10% annual escalator, (almost reminiscent of a Ford purchase order in reverse, that was 5%) in five years time the fees will be almost 50% greater. Now If say Samsung took it and decided to major on it they would expect the get full trackside exposure, but that again is owned by Bernie or his operations, so again more cost for the sponsor.
It is perhaps a sign of age that I can remember Korean companies succeeding Japanese as the makers of low quality shoddy goods, I hasten to add immediately that those days are long gone and the Far East have for many years been the leaders in quality assurance systems that are adopted all over the world. I can even remember Lucky Fountain and Goldstar who together are nowadays known as LG.
The pace of development in the far east seems to accelerate and run so much faster than in the so called developed countries which are hampered by the systems we have in place already. Look at my broadband speed here in Lincs, “Up to 8mbps” but lucky if I get up to 2. It is simply not commercially worthwhile laying fibre-optic cable here, whereas as I understand it, Korea has every square inch covered. would I pay extra for it? No I would just like to get a bit nearer what I pay for.
My request re India still stands though Joe
I don’t see how anyone (Besides Bernie) can call F1 a good long term plan. It happens two or three times a month – a new story comes out about this or that track owner/province can’t afford F1 anymore. Bernie and company are getting all the money while the track owners are paying the fees and the surrounding areas receive the “good publicity” which is not being converted to money at good exchange rates.
I wonder if the Austin race will have these kind of money wranglings.
Derick,
F1 is worth every penny if the people paying know what they are doing and are committed to a plan.
Joe – no doubt this idea had been mooted before, but the mention of the Seoul track made me think ‘why not do One drivers-points only race each season, in spec cars, at rotating tracks’ which of course could be less-than-f1-spec tracks. What interests might be opposed to such a thing? Seems like the fans would love that, so long as it was just once per season.
SteveD,
What is in it for the teams?
Interesting.
Not really looking forward to aftermath India, two years hence.
The city plan certainly seems ambitious. I like the track, tho…it seemed fast and smooth.
Korea are paying $ 52 million a year for their race….
How Bernie convinces people that this makes any sense at all just beats me ??????
Hi Joe,
This is completely unrelated to the above post, but I know you did some reporting on Porsche buying VW stocks a couple of years ago. Here’s something quite interesting that I came across recently: http://radian.org/notebook/porsche
Would the Korean GP have fared better if it was in Seoul or nearby?
Bernie would still be charging and arm and a leg to host the race, they’d run into financial strife sooner or later.
From reports they don’t have any money left even for next year.
simon134,
The logic is simple. If you have other businesses to earn from the GP it then pays for itself. Thus is a company like Samsung has hotels, restaurants, retail outlets, theme parks and so on, it can earn back the money that it costs and get promotion for Everland for free.
@ Joe Saward,
Do you know if new GP countries must have there tracks designed by Herman the German?
Is there any reason why no one has tried to design a track equal to or even better than SPA?
simon134,
Tilke does seem to get all the F1 deals, but I am sure that there must be tenders and so on. It is very odd that he wins almost everything. I guess that people bidding for races think they will have a better chance of success if Tilke is involved.
Thought for Seymour,
apart from street circuits (most of which had to go for safety) hasn’t F1 always moved to the empty places? Disused airfields, clearings in forests, a beach . . Sure, it’s not (even relatively) cheap any more, but i like that aspect of the Korean GP, it’s a reminder, and somehow counterpoint to “Disneyfication”. Maybe the stands were stuffed, but put all that against a wasteland building site and i bet few will forget it in a hurry, even if they’re not fully committed fans. I certainly want to put this one on my “i’m actually here” calendar. The same does not apply i think to mud at Silverstone, because where is an obvious center for the sport ought to look the part (and i proverbially want to shoot the architect with a crazed protractor who did the pit complex, ugh, and grr!) . What manner of tracks might we have, if you didn’t have to spend so much, and then pay Bernie for the chance? I don’t reckon for a minute safety would be diminished, because much of that comes with the circus and the rules. I know BE sells a wonderful story how F1 = Civil Development, but he has a point whilst he gouges, just i’d wish for some more raw tracks. Oh, and ticket prices etc. in line with that . . shut up John, oldest moan in the book . .
Hello Joe and others that like to occasionally get it sideways. Was wondering what you thought of this.
http://therestijustsquandered.com/2011/10/19/vettlemania/
Nothing like a bit of shameless self promotion, but if you think Vettel has poetntial to take the sport beyond Shuey then read on & hopefully have a chuckle in the process.
Samsung produces cars with Renault. The new Renault Safrane is actually a Samsung car.
Victor
The Renault-Samsung partnership is 80-20 Renault-Samsung
If I were Samsung, then I would stick with Chelsea and Suwon Bluewings and not get my hands dirty sorting out this mess.
As soon as I touch this project there would be cries of corruption and transfer of benefits. People would say govt wanted to get this project off their hands and offered this thing to me at a bargain price, in return for cheap land at the site or whatever. It is just way too sensitive.
I have no thoughts to offer about what should or should not happen to the Korean GP. But I am very glad they had one this year. This is due to the simple fact that what I like best about F1 is high speed ballet. While I understand that some folks live to see the remarkably instinctive pass that should not have worked but did, for me that kind of thing is too fleeting an instant. What I like best is sustained cooperation among competitors who dance within inches of each other while they swerve and sway around whatever the road presents.
To me, the well noted lack of passing in recent years (decades?) is something I hated as well, but not for the lack of passing itself. I hated it for the lack of high speed ballet which seems to have similar prerequisites. As a rule, it seems to last for just a turn or two, maybe three. Last year, the best thing that occurred at whatever race featured Vettel screwing the pooch by turning into Webber for no apparent reason, the best thing was to see the McClaren pair follow that dismal display with their own frolic which seemed to be a lesson to the Red Bull boys about how it should be done. I don’t know how long it lasted, but I loved every second of it and wished for more.
Having said all that, I’m sure you know why I am glad for this year’s race in Korea. Seeing Hamilton and Webber do what they did, lap after lap, both before a pit stop and after, was just wonderful to see. I don’t know how long it lasted, but it seemed to be a third of the whole damn race. I don’t recall anything like it. This is the kind of thing you don’t need to teach a novice F1 observer to appreciate. This is what F1 needs to have more of if it wishes to get more Americans thinking it worthwhile.
As a final note, it was so good to see Lewis be one of the dancers. After a month or three of not being able to find his ass with both hands, he did a job that was not only brilliant, it was downright beautiful. Mark Webber deserves no less credit. I know the big trophy must go to the winner, but I wish it could have been those two jointly standing on the top step because they are the ones who made Korea a winning race.
p.s. Does anyone have a clue as to why Red Bull had Webber pit with Lewis? It seemed stupid at the time and even dumber in retrospect. (Of course, it’s fine with me as it led to what I discussed above, but if I was Webber I’d be ready to throw somebody out the window.)
Also… I am quite sure that Lewis knows better than I what a remarkable job he did in providing such a sustained period of error-free high-pressure exemplary driving during which he had to make the most of having a car that was not working properly. I hope and expect that this will permit him to talk of his own self confidence without the least bit of fibbing. With any luck, we might even get to see the old version of him back again…
I would certainly be disappointed if the Yeongam circuit were to leave the F1 calendar. It’s an unusual track, different from the stereotype modern tracks. It’s mix of curves and straights, particularly the kink just before the start-finish straight, make it an exciting track – one of the most exciting you have on the current calendar, the others being Istanbul Park, probably Buddh International, Interlagos, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Albert Park and of course the historic Spa and Monza tracks and Monaco.
Thanks Joe for interesting article.
Though I’m a Korean, I didn’t think about the possibility of SamSung’s involvement.
Even though the company already has been hit by frustration in motor industry and it has been criticized in Korea for many reasons, it would be great for F1 fans if Samsung jumps into the sports.
I think next year’s big point of change in terms of KGP would be the nation’s two biggest elections, which are general election and presidential election.
Though there’re some opposing farmers in the region, many locals would be angry if next year’s F1 is canceled due to lack of government supports thinking that they once again lose their opportunity to develop just as they did in the past. That would the last thing politicians would want.
And if power sift is realized next year from the current GNP (which has historically neglected South Jolla province and didn’t provide due financial support about F1) to the opposition party which has its root in the region, I think that central governmental supports including financial, media, and infrastructural supports will be provided and that will certainly be good boost for KGP.
As the current party and president has seriously lost public trust, I quite expect such power transition will happen next year and that would be a good news for us as well.
+ Hosting F1 in near Seoul metropolitan area would be great. But I can say for sure that Koreans cannot afford noises from F1 and such region is very densely populated. That’s what Koreans first think when they talk about F1 in Seoul or nearby area.
Plus, KGP bid happened during the previous two presidents’ term who were from the current opposition party. But during the preparation of the race, president changed in Korea and all supports were almost stopped from central government. And at the end of next year, president will be highly possibly changed and that’s why I think many supports can be provided in KGP in the future.
Anyway, Korean government is very good at providing people’s money in hosting BIG international events. This year huge amount of government money went to World sprint championship held in Daegu while F1 is neglected.
Hi Joe, slightly off topic, but out of interest which races to you most and least look forward to each season? Would be interested to hear from someone who has attended so many gps! Cheers.
mass damper
https://joesaward.wordpress.com/2011/08/31/my-perfect-f1-calendar/
To me, all this indicates clearly that, as yet, the Koreans don’t understand
how the huge F1 circus works. It took the ever-adaptive Japanese a while
to get all their beans in a row ( but that was 30 years ago ! ) and other Asian countries had to work damn hard to get it right. The things that every F1 circuit has to get absolutely spot on in these very tough economic times is an international airport close by, a big range of hotels close by, a big city close by with excellent road and rail access to the circuit for the fans. And finally, the circuit gets used regularly for non-F1 racing. With the best will in the world, it does not seem that Korea can tick too many of these essential boxes, does it ?
joesaward
> RShack,
>
> It can be both. Building the sport and wealth extraction.
I agree with this. It’s a matter of finding the proper short term balance between how much you extract and how much you invest, together with a coherent vision of how to strengthen the sport in the long term. Where we differ is our opinion of whether Bernie’s approach represents any sense of meaningful balance whatsoever. If it’s there, I have failed to recognize it.
> It just depends on the locals.
This is where we have a legitimate (and I’m sure sincere) disagreement. The core issue is whether Bernie’s policies allow your last sentence fits with the first part. While I certainly agree that the two sentiments can fit together, I cannot fathom how this can be true, given the arrangement Bernie demands.
You have stated earlier that F1’s price effectively demands government subsidy, and I agree with you about this. Government subsidy is required because “the locals” can’t hope to break even, much less profit even a single cent, from hosting an F1 race. This is not only because Bernie demands, what? $50 million? with a large built-in inflation factor. He also deprives the locals from those opportunities for income that have traditionally permitted race promoters to avoid losing their shirt, e.g., track advertising, TV fees, and so on. The practical consequence is that Bernie leaves them next to nothing in the way of income streams.
As a result of this wealth extraction approach, “the locals” must somehow find a way to generate considerably more than $50 million (or whatever the fee is) from 3 days worth of hotel fees and restaurant custom. Who are we kidding? Beyond that, all that’s left is the Magic-Goes-Here Factor of vague and unspecified betterment which supposedly accrue to “the locals” solely as a result of being visible on a global motorsports stage for a couple days. While this exposure may include practice and qualifying, what we’re talking about is mainly 2 hours or so on a single Sunday per year.
Do you truly believe this kind of arrangement provides a reasonable balance between wealth extraction and building the sport? To me, it seems to be amazingly devoid of any balance at all. Instead, it seems a formula for Bernie globetrotting to find places that are desperate for a bit of westernized attention. Once a place feels comfortable with it’s place on the global stage, most will start second guessing the sense of using taxpayer money to funnel huge profits to Bernie. We have already seen American promoters turning away from being treated poorly, and I hear rumors about Belgium and about the two tracks in each of Germany and Spain. What happens to F1 when Bernie exhausts the list of governments who are willing to subsidize F1?
Now, there are two obvious issues in play:
1. The trustworthiness of studies which calculate the Magic-Goes-Here Factor of “intangible” benefits. We’ve seen a lot of these things over here, as municipalities are frequently pressured to build new facilities to keep a professional sports team from moving elsewhere. In truth, no one here puts much stock in the reports. Their main role is to provide some wink-wink cover for politicians who in reality are not acting to obtain the “intangible benefits” but rather are bending to the wishes of “the locals” who want their city officials to keep their team. Not sure how strong public sentiment would be when there is no local civic bond with F1 in the way there with one’s childhood sports team.
2. The efforts Bernie makes to ensure an appropriate balance between overt wealth extraction and investments made for the betterment of the sport. On this point, I am ill-informed. Can you help me better understand the ways in which Bernie tempers wealth extraction with investments aimed at F1’s long term health? I am not saying there are none, I am only reporting that I don’t know of any. I see plenty of wealth extraction and nothing but. I just don’t see the investment side. Can you help me better understand what the investment part of the balance is? Or is long term investment another thing “the locals” are expected to provide? (Not being a smart-ass, I honestly don’t get it.)
I fully agree with RShack’s views. I’m one with you mate.
I wanted to visit the Indian Grand Prix but with grandstand prices at Rs. 35,000 I have to be content with watching at home. Bernie wants to maintain the notion that motor racing is for the rich alone. Anyone with a high moral stand just cannot accept this arrangement.
Derick
> I wonder if the Austin race will have these kind of money wranglings.
My guess is the ticket prices will tell us. Let’s first see what the prices are, then we might have a pretend pool about how it turns out…
Joe,
I agree about every business following the money. I just think that F1, much like the English Premier League football is now in a situation where for the fans, it is a sport but for those involved the sport is secondary to the business side.
Somehow a balance has to be maintained. I think F1 does a decent job of this except where the business side of things is clearly to the detriment of the sport as a whole, such as the Bahrain on/off fiasco this season.
Thanks for the reply.
I tried to go along on Friday and they wouldn’t let me in unless I bought a 3 day ticket, which I didn’t want as I already had paddock hospitality passes for Saturday and Sunday. They sold individual Saturday and Sunday tickets, but not Friday, so there was at least 2 fans stuck in the carpark who were willing to buy tickets to get in, but the tickets didn’t exist. Was a rather frustrating experience to see all of those empty stands I would have gladly sat in.
@Clare
Without doubting what you say about the Korean government’s love of high profile events, but haven’t the politicians got something a little more important they need to focus on and explain to the electorate; the problems with your Northern neighbour?
@other Tim
Well, to my thought, the main problem in the lack of due central government supports and the following struggles of provincial government in preparing F1 is largely based on Korea’s long standing and shameful regional-favoritism.
As the current government gained support from their main region by demonizing the other region (the F1 hosting region), Korea’s F1 preparation has gone very tough way.
In terms of Korea’s northern neighbor, I think that is not a factor hindering Korea’s efforts to make successful F1 events. It would sound quite abnormal, but many Koreans are too familiar with NK’s behavior and Koreans does not consider NK as a main risk factor in terms of big international event. Furthermore, South Jolla province is especially far from troublesome area (e.g. Yeon-Pyong Island where was hit by bombshell from the North last year.) so that Koreans don’t think about NK’s hostile act when they talk about F1.
Jeremy Smith:
Can you say ‘kick back’?
I have enjoyed reading everyone’s comments about the race here, and I noticed the repeated use of the word “think.”
Unfortunately, “thinking” (or planning) is not a common practice here in Korea. Emotions and the quest for power tend to drive things here. There are too many examples of similar white elephants in Korea to list.
The things against the race surviving are:
1. It’s out in the boonies, even for Koreans
2. There are only four decent hotels anywhere near the track
3. It’ll never be able to break even on an F1 race without Bernie’s help
4. The first race was such a cluster #### that people like me are hesitant to go so far down south (400+ km – 6 hours minimum)
5. People who live outside of Korea just disregard it as a choice, preferring better organized and more hospitable venues such as Japan
Suggestions for a better race in March 2012;
1. Who ever came up with the idea of putting the track in Geomam should be shot. That would make everyone here feel better.
2. A professional race promotion company should be hired.
3. WORKING English, Japanese, and Chinese websites should be put up for tickets, directions, lodging, camping, transportation, and sightseeing. And they have to be all under the SAME domain name!!!!
4. Foreign food choices should be offered at the track that are decent in quality.
5. A complete list of ALL of the available accommodations should be made available, including ph #’s, websites, distance from the track, languages, and most importantly, type of accommodations.
6. The local hoteliers need to be trained in how to handle foreign guests.
7. A price gouging law needs to be enacted to prevent the $300+ dollar a night love hotels.
I could go on, but I have to go back to work….
Lets hope that there is a race in March of next year….
Chris, that’s a great suggestion. Thanks for taking the effort. But how are the ticket prices? Are they outrageous as in India?