The embarrassing show of Yeongam
Only at the last Moment is finished, today the debut of Formula 1 on the new line of Yeongam in South Korea. South Korea is a country with a pronounced rainy season per year, which lasts from April to October. The heaviest monsoon rains are expected in July and August. Nevertheless, the FIA the Grand Prix of Korea has admitted to the program and scheduled to end October.
hardly surprising therefore that it is just the start of racing, which was set at 15:00 local time, as is pouring out of buckets. Various weather forecasts that it would cease to regenen in 10, 20 or 25 minutes, make the rounds. The radar image that all the teams have and that comes from the nearest airport, talks, however, a different language. It keeps pouring. Nevertheless, the race will start with ten minutes late, but behind the safety car. In the cockpit cameras can be seen next to nothing, just spray. After several top pilots had complained about the conditions (Alonso: "the most difficult Verhältninsse If I have ever experienced in a car"), is shown after three rounds of the red flag.
more predictions that it was to stop raining soon make the rounds, while the drivers have long since dropped out again and stretch their legs. Even the moderator of SF1 is seduced, he saw from his desk from a larger pool, in the aufträfen only single drop. Meanwhile, the shown pictures of the Korean television confirm, however, it is still pouring down with rain.
at 16:10 local time, 95 minutes before sunset, the race on the unlit path is restarted. Back behind the Safety Car. It rains continued unabated, the newly paved track is slippery, some drivers are even in the slowest driving behind the Safety Car to slide and leave the track, but the embarrassing show goes on. The organizers seem to be under enormous pressure to provide investors and viewers in the world something.
After a total of 18 laps behind the Safety Car the race started flying. It has stopped raining, but it is still a lot of water on the track. The view from the cockpit is still zero. Only one round is good, then the first crash, two top drivers out there, and also the safety car is back. Then again, start, new forecasts rain, visibility is zero, further losses. Safety car, restart, safety car again, a few failures. Although it was almost dark end of the race, at least the racing conditions were significantly better in the end. The race is considered complete, Alonso deserved to win.
55 laps were planned, three were completed in the startup attempt behind the safety car. If even two full laps, the race is capable of evaluation. The drivers would thus receive equal shares points measured at the start position which they have moved out in qualifying. Only if three-quarters of the race distance was completed, a race is full.
It is not the first time that the Formula 1 in Asian countries struggling with the rainy season
. Rainy seasons in the tropics and Subtropoen something normal. Only the Formula 1 circus seems to be every time surprised anew about it. During the rainy season it is not raining non-stop. Most of the morning starts quite appealing, but by noon the rain clouds are formed, and the risk of rain for the afternoon and evening is almost 100%. Nevertheless, the race in South-East Asia started in the late afternoon, only to the public to provide better turn-in Europe. That in the tropics after a short twilight is already dark at 18:00, is also a fact that the FIA can be just as regularly ignored.
a general rethinking about the global spread of the race comes to mind. Will you hold on despite the experience it must be recognized that the fair-weather sport of Formula 1 can no longer be an event during the summer in the northern hemisphere. Must become the all-year event are tailored to the local weather conditions.
While the stewards themselves otherwise judge the most ridiculous foul hard and talk time penalties or fines, the race director seems to enjoy immunity. The imperative to change a broken transmission costs 10 grid positions, a normal racing incident in a tight curve is a drive-through penalty, but the racing line, which is responsible for the embarrassing show of Yeongam and completely unnecessary risked life and limb, the driver comes unscathed it.