2013 Korean Grand Prix

[MyHamsterRacedAnOnyx]

Excellent I think I have that one of her in the field somewhere....

And it goes so perfectly with your signature

[dr-baker]

Excellent I think I have that one of her in the field somewhere....

And it goes so perfectly with your signature

The banana part, or the other part?

[MyHamsterRacedAnOnyx]

The banana part...

It made my imagination wander off for a while....

[dr-baker]

The banana part...

It made my imagination wander off for a while....

Oh dear. /

[AndreaModa]

I have to say, if the developers had actually built half of the buildings planned around the track, landscaped it properly with a few more trees, and generally done a better job at tidying the place up, I don't think it would be as under threat as it currently is.

Yes it has money problems, but it has done since the very start. Clearly LG are bankrolling it for the time being judging by the extra trackside advertising they don't have at any other circuit.

But fundamentally it is a good track. The long straights are a bit gimmicky, but it's something a little different, and brings a bit of action. I'm all for a bit of variety on the calender, and I think, even as a Tilke track, Korea can offer that. Certainly more than Bahrain, or Abu Dhabi for example.

The only sour point for me, is the continued ineffectiveness of the Korean marshals. I'm not just talking about the fire truck, which bordered on ignorance in the extreme, but the way in which they just stand behind the barriers and watch the drivers (often in dangerous positions) deal with their situation themselves. Di Resta was left to extract himself alone, and it took ages to clear the car. Webber was stood by his burning car for far too long, the marshal was too slow and then was standing on the wrong side of the car with the fire extinguisher. The organisation is terrible, the quality amateurish, and if nothing is done, something nasty will happen. I feel the same when Singapore is held. Why is there no crane down where Ricciardo crashed? Why was he left alone to get out of the car and get behind the barrier at a point in the circuit where he could have so very easily been hit?

Why is it that the FIA feel it acceptable to on the one hand allow superb marshalling in places like Monaco, Silverstone, Monza, etc, and then on the other hand allow the farcical demonstrations of inability to go on at newer events like Korea and Singapore? Double standards in the extreme.

[mario]

The only sour point for me, is the continued ineffectiveness of the Korean marshals. I'm not just talking about the fire truck, which bordered on ignorance in the extreme, but the way in which they just stand behind the barriers and watch the drivers (often in dangerous positions) deal with their situation themselves. Di Resta was left to extract himself alone, and it took ages to clear the car. Webber was stood by his burning car for far too long, the marshal was too slow and then was standing on the wrong side of the car with the fire extinguisher. The organisation is terrible, the quality amateurish, and if nothing is done, something nasty will happen. I feel the same when Singapore is held. Why is there no crane down where Ricciardo crashed? Why was he left alone to get out of the car and get behind the barrier at a point in the circuit where he could have so very easily been hit?

Why is it that the FIA feel it acceptable to on the one hand allow superb marshalling in places like Monaco, Silverstone, Monza, etc, and then on the other hand allow the farcical demonstrations of inability to go on at newer events like Korea and Singapore? Double standards in the extreme.

I have to agree with your comments about the standards of the marshalling being unacceptably poor.

The fact that no marshals went to assist Webber when the car caught fire was rather disconcerting (although Webber did intentionally stand by the car as he wanted to try to fight the fire himself) - OK, he was able to get out of the car very quickly, but they should have sent more than one guy with a fire extinguisher to fight that fire. This is the fourth race that has been held at this circuit, and despite the fact that the organisers have had ample time to train and equip their marshals, the standard of marshalling has not improved that much, if at all, since they first went there.
Mind you, the circuit owners are the same owners who didn't even bother throwing away the rubbish from the 2010 race until the following year, and only because the teams - quite rightly - complained about it. If they can't even manage that, then what hope for better marshal training?

[watka]

I have to say, if the developers had actually built half of the buildings planned around the track, landscaped it properly with a few more trees, and generally done a better job at tidying the place up, I don't think it would be as under threat as it currently is.

Yes it has money problems, but it has done since the very start. Clearly LG are bankrolling it for the time being judging by the extra trackside advertising they don't have at any other circuit.

But fundamentally it is a good track. The long straights are a bit gimmicky, but it's something a little different, and brings a bit of action. I'm all for a bit of variety on the calender, and I think, even as a Tilke track, Korea can offer that. Certainly more than Bahrain, or Abu Dhabi for example.

The only sour point for me, is the continued ineffectiveness of the Korean marshals. I'm not just talking about the fire truck, which bordered on ignorance in the extreme, but the way in which they just stand behind the barriers and watch the drivers (often in dangerous positions) deal with their situation themselves. Di Resta was left to extract himself alone, and it took ages to clear the car. Webber was stood by his burning car for far too long, the marshal was too slow and then was standing on the wrong side of the car with the fire extinguisher. The organisation is terrible, the quality amateurish, and if nothing is done, something nasty will happen.

I also agree, this very much summarises my thoughts on Korea. Great track in the wrong part of the world, without the money and dedication to make it more than just a race, but an event with good safety standards.


Mario, or whomever, technical question if I may. Hamilton was on the radio saying he couldn't pass Hulkenberg as his traction out of the corners (particularly evident in turns 1 & 2 was "unbelievable". Do we have any explanation for the difference in traction between the Sauber and the Mercedes, especially as their tyres were of a similar age?

[Ferrim]

Watka, you'll probably find this interesting: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/24422038

Skip the part about Ferrari and go down to where it starts talking about the exhausts design.

[watka]

Watka, you'll probably find this interesting: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/24422038

Skip the part about Ferrari and go down to where it starts talking about the exhausts design.

Cool thanks. Although can anyone explain to me in layman's terms how an exhaust design can affect rear downforce (I understand blown diffusers, but aren't they banned)? Honestly, I am clueless when it comes to the technical side of F1.

[mario]

Watka, you'll probably find this interesting: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/24422038

Skip the part about Ferrari and go down to where it starts talking about the exhausts design.

Cool thanks. Although can anyone explain to me in layman's terms how an exhaust design can affect rear downforce (I understand blown diffusers, but aren't they banned)? Honestly, I am clueless when it comes to the technical side of F1.

The FIA banned the low level exhausts that exited between the side of the diffuser and the rear tyres, but using the exhaust gases to manipulate the airflow around the rear of the car is still legal.

One problem that the teams have is a phenomenon known as "tyre squirt" - basically, low pressure turbulent air which is caught between the tyre and the ground and pushed outwards laterally. This reduces the efficiency of the underbody and diffuser by disrupting the airflow beneath the car and reducing the pressure differential between the front of the floor and the rear.
The earlier exhaust designs, which injected the exhaust gases directly between the rear tyre and the diffuser, significantly reduced this problem by using the stream of gas from the exhausts to redirect the air that would otherwise have been directed beneath the floor. This increased the efficiency of the diffuser and therefore improved rear traction (and the amount of downforce produced overall), which is why it was so effective and the teams wanted to replicate that effect a.s.a.p.

Now that the exhausts have to exit higher and at a slightly upward angle, the teams need to find alternative methods to redirect the exhaust gas downwards. The current designs have been called "coanda exhausts" as they utilise what is known as the Coanda effect, which is a phenomenon where, due to the interaction between a surface in close proximity to a jet of fluid, the jet of fluid deflects towards the surface. The idea is that the teams can utilise this effect to redirect the exhaust gases back down towards the floor of the car and back between the rear tyre and the diffuser, enabling them to recreate the effect of the earlier blown diffusers.

[watka]

Thanks, I think I understand it!