Korea is expecting a smooth running of its formula one race weekend next month.

Last year, when the new Yeongham circuit hosted the inaugural Korean grand prix, many visitors were disappointed with construction delays, poor management and the fact they had to stay in so-called ‘love motels’.

In response, local organisers Korea Auto Valley Operation (KAVO) was investigated and chief executive Chung Young-cho dismissed.

“Learning from last year, F1 organisers set out innovative ways of improving our management,” the Yonhap news agency said, quoting from a media statement.

“In terms of customer service, we expect this year’s F1 race to be much more satisfactory,” the organisers added.

Barely a month after he collected the FIA prize for the best promoter of 2010, the Korean grand prix’s Yung Cho Chung has been ousted.
During a board meeting on Friday, the inaugural event’s chief organiser was accused of lax management and dismissed, the Yonhap news agency revealed.

F1 insiders were surprised in December when Korea was awarded the prize for the best event of last year, following late construction of the Yeongham circuit and widespread tales of sub-standard utilities and accommodation.

Yonhap reported that two other senior executives were also fired during the emergency shareholders meeting of Korea Auto Valley Operation (KAVO).

Park Won-Hwa, the former South Korean ambassador to Switzerland, has reportedly been named Chung’s replacement.

Promoter KAVO, a joint public and private venture, was not available for comment.

South Korea’s race contract extends for at least six more years but KAVO launched an investigation after the inaugural event last October when flaws in the organisation became apparent.

“Investors felt that KAVO’s management under Chung couldn’t guarantee success this year,” an unnamed official said on Friday.

Even after hosting its inaugural grand prix less than two weeks ago, a cloud is above the future of Korea’s formula one race.

The Yeongam circuit has failed a state safety inspection and cancelled a F3 race scheduled for November, amid new reports of apparent corruption within the organising company and F1 promoter KAVO.

The Korea Herald said the South Jeolla provincial government is set to investigate, with some money from the circuit’s construction budget spent without documentation.

“Over the next week, we’re going to look through all the documents of KAVO,” said Jung Hwan-dae, the vice-chairman of the provincial assembly.

“We’re also planning to summon officials from KAVO to investigate how the money was spent. There is something wrong here,” he added.

The undocumented expenditure amounts to more than $50 million, with other media reports alleging construction firms were paid off to avoid fees.

A KAVO spokesman would not say how the missing money was spent, but commented: “No illegal conduct took place.”

The inaugural running of last month’s Korean grand prix has been brought into question with a piece of emerging news on Thursday.

Although F1′s FIA inspectors cleared the bespoke venue in Yeongam for the October 24 event, it has emerged that state inspectors have deemed mobile stands unsafe for an international F3 race scheduled for late November.

Organiser Barry Bland said in a statement: “(Local promoter) KAVO have had to cancel the (event) due to Force Majeure.”

He said the reason was a “legal technicality with the circuit”, and a KAVO spokesman told AFP news agency that the cancellation is due to “delayed approval from inspectors”.

KAVO, or Korea Auto Valley Operation, is a joint private venture involving the Jeollanam-do regional government.

The spokesman Kim Jae-Ho said the decision will not affect next year’s Korean grand prix, unconditionally scheduled on the 2011 calendar for 16 October.

“We will do our best to build complete mobile stands,” he said.

“Compared to the lack of experience, we believe the first F1 race was staged in a satisfactory way, but we need to make perfect preparations for the F3 race next year,” the spokesman added.

A spokesman has confirmed reports that aspects of Korea’s new formula one track are not completed.

The FIA’s Charlie Whiting this week approved the Yeongam venue ahead of the inaugural race in less than a fortnight.

But media reports have indicated that safety requirements and the asphalt aside, the entire venue is not finished.

“Landscaping work to the surrounding area and parking lots still remains to be done,” a spokesman for organisers KAVO told the Korea Herald.

“But we are finalising last-minute touches and can be ready on schedule,” he added.

After the weekend’s Japanese grand prix, the F1 teams’ equipment and cars are already en route to the facility 320 kilometres south of Seoul.

Red Bull’s Helmut Marko admitted the team is slightly worried about the layout, with the curvier sections punctuated by straights not suitable to the RB6′s Renault engine.

“One of them is the longest straight on the calendar,” he groaned, according to Auto Motor und Sport.

Nico Rosberg, however, expressed concerns that the crucial top layer of track has only just been laid.

“The only concern is the new asphalt,” the Mercedes driver is quoted by Welt newspaper.

The media report recalled June 1985, when the Belgian GP at Spa had to be postponed for months because the new asphalt surface disintegrated.

Korea’s new formula one circuit is almost complete, an official of the Yeongam venue has revealed.

Speculation has dogged the inaugural event due to construction delays and an unusually late FIA inspection scheduled for the day after Sunday’s Japanese grand prix — just 11 days prior to opening practice in Korea.

But race organiser KAVO’s communication boss Kim Jae-ho has revealed to the Korea Times newspaper that construction “is now 98 to 99 per cent complete”.

The last crucial element is the top layer of surface asphalt, with other less important things likely to go unfinished.

“The inspection team may put first priority on safety and appropriateness of the race track ahead of other factors such as cleanliness and makeshift stands,” Kim admitted.

Work on the final surface layer began on Tuesday and will take six days — exactly the time available until Charlie Whiting arrives at the venue direct from Suzuka.

“Before the inspection the only thing left to do is working on the surface of the track,” Kim confirmed.

F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone said two weeks ago that allowing Korea to miss its original inspection date is “quite dangerous”, but the newspaper report said some other circuits have been in the same situation.

“We also tried to keep the date,” Kim explained.

“For us, the toughest factor was weather.  It rained too much.  It was totally different from past seasons.

“Frankly speaking, we (Korea) have little experience in building race tracks.  However, despite the postponed construction, the track and venue will provide the perfect circumstances for the race,” he promised.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Jason Cho was asked if – mere days ahead of the crucial inspection by the governing FIA – he is feeling stressed.

“Just look at my face,” he smiled.

Organisers KAVO had already been given an inspection deadline extension from July to September 21, and the latest rumour is that the FIA has granted yet another extension to 28 September.

That is just over three weeks before the inaugural race on October 24.

“It will be ready, it’s a must,” said Cho. “If we don’t finish then we don’t have an event so it will be done in ten days.”

Officials say the delays have been caused by bad weather, and KAVO’s deputy marketing manager peter Baek is also confident the track can be completed in time.

“Europeans have a set schedule and want to keep to the schedule as actively as possible but Koreans always get things done,” he said.

According to the International Sporting Code, F1′s governing body should already have approved or rejected the new South Korea circuit ahead of its inaugural grand prix.

Instead, the venue has been given until September 21 to prepare for Charlie Whiting’s final inspection, with a FIA spokesman admitting “a lot of work remains to be completed” at the Yeongam site, according to the Telegraph.

Appendix O of the Code says the final inspection for a permanent venue should take place “not later than 90 days before the first international event to be held” there.

If adhered to, Korea’s final inspection should have taken place at the end of July, given its late October race date.

And if a circuit fails its final inspection, the sporting regulations state that the event “will not be considered for inclusion in the following year’s championship unless the FIA judges the cancellation to have been due to force majeure”.

Countering ongoing speculation about the state of the site, race organisers have released some photos showing completed buildings and an apparently freshly-laid track surface.

But other, unofficial photos recently did the rounds showing that aspects of the venue are far from complete.

However, the Telegraph’s Tom Cary said the FIA is “satisfied” with progress.

Indian driver Karun Chandhok is currently on his way to the east Asian state, where on Saturday he is scheduled to drive Red Bull’s demo car around the circuit.

Event organisers KAVO insist the venue is “90 per cent” complete.

Rumours that Korea will have to call off its formula one debut in October are refusing to go away.

The FIA’s Charlie Whiting visited the site in the South Cholla province recently, amid organiser KAVO’s insistence the facility is nearing completion.

But at the same time, an unnamed official of the Korea Auto Valley Operation admitted the track is “delayed”, after an earlier completion schedule called for a July handover to F1 authorities.

And a report in Spain’s sports daily AS says the new completion date of late August may also now be delayed.

The newspaper said the actual circuit and security features will be ready in time, but that KAVO is “far behind with the construction of the grandstands, pits, control buildings and the press room”.

AS said the Motorland Aragon venue in Spain could replace Korea’s October 22-24 race date, so that the full 19 races take place this season.

Said Whiting after his recent visit: “There is still work to be done, but the circuit should be ready in good time for the first grand prix.

“Weekly progress reports will be submitted to the FIA and a further inspection will be carried out in six to seven weeks.”

Construction of Korea’s formula one circuit is running late.

Based on a statement provided by race promoters KAVO on Tuesday, it was reported by multiple outlets that construction of the track in Joellanam-do province is “on schedule”.

The reports follow rumours that F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone is lining up a potential replacement host for Korea, amid reports construction might have been delayed by the regional political situation.

The inaugural Korean grand prix is scheduled for October 24.

A KAVO official told AFP news agency that the track will be ready at the end of August at the latest.

“Our initial plan was to complete it in July but construction has been delayed,” he said, without giving details.

Jun.16 (GMM)  Organisers of the inaugural Korean grand prix, scheduled to be held in October, have played down renewed fears the event might be called off.

F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone recently checked on construction progress of the Yeongam circuit and dismissed rumours it will not be finished on time.

But political tensions between South Korea and the rogue North have since ramped up, after the South blamed the North for the sinking of a naval vessel and the North retaliated by threatening all-out war.

“If there is (war), we won’t be there obviously,” Ecclestone told reporters in Turkey.

The latest development on Wednesday was a news conference given by the North Korean ambassador to the UN, threatening military action if the UN condemns the sinking.

“Our people and army will smash our aggressors with merciless counter reaction if they dare to provoke us despite our repeated demands and warnings,” said ambassador Sin Son Ho.

Sources recently indicated that the tension is slowing down construction of the 5.62 kilometre track, while teams are currently reluctant to charter equipment to Korea or book airline seats or hotel rooms.

But in a media statement, the race promoter Korea Auto Valley Operation (KAVO) dismissed the speculation.

“We are extremely pleased with the progress of the circuit, facilities, and preparations for the grand prix,” said chief executive Yung Cho Chung.

“Construction is on schedule for completion this summer, and we have encountered no obstacles whatsoever, either logistical or political,” he added.