2010 Korean Grand Prix

Championship standings

Webber leads the Drivers’ Championship with 220 points. Alonso and Vettel are tied for second on 206 points. Hamilton is fourth with 192 and Button fifth with 189. With 75 points available across three remaining races, Hamilton and Button both remain mathematically in contention: both would stay in title contention if Alonso or Vettel won Korea and neither McLaren driver scored points.

Previous race

Vettel won in Japan. Webber was second. Hamilton’s title chances remain alive despite the McLarens being outpaced in recent rounds.

Between-race developments

Formula One Group chief executive Bernie Ecclestone has warned that the race could be in jeopardy given the deterioration of relations between North and South Korea following the sinking of the South Korean corvette Cheonan in March 2010. He said the event would be abandoned if North Korean forces crossed the border, with the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours mooted as an alternative venue. Hostilities eventually eased, but the circuit’s construction was further delayed by 38 days of rain during the summer. Circuit designer Hermann Tilke has confirmed the track surface was completed just ten days before the race and has warned that the fresh tarmac’s oils and bitumen will make the surface slippery, presenting a challenge for drivers.

On 12 October, FIA safety delegate Charlie Whiting certified the circuit as ready.

Car upgrades

Red Bull revises their brake ducts for the third consecutive race. McLaren modifies the front wing first introduced in Singapore, adding a vertical gurney flap and an additional vertical slot at the endplate to improve front tyre airflow and downforce. The team also brings a new rear wing and tests a revision of their F-duct system. Ferrari revises the diffuser with curved profiles and a large middle plate to improve airflow extraction from the underfloor. Toro Rosso runs an F-duct in the Friday sessions.

Practice

The track was dusty for the first session with poor grip; Hamilton led at 1:40.887. Bruno Senna spun at turn nine when his left rear suspension failed and stopped on the track without hitting a barrier. Yamamoto caused the second session to be stopped after spinning and beaching his Hispania at turn 16. In an improved second session, Webber set the day’s fastest time of 1:37.942 despite spinning late in the session. Alonso was second and Hamilton third. Button was sidelined for most of the session with an overheating exhaust.

Following a Friday evening drivers’ briefing, the height of an apex kerb at turn 16 was increased and the wall moved back. A new kerb at turn 18 was built to prevent dirt and stones from accumulating on the circuit. Bridgestone reported heavy tyre graining during the Friday sessions; director Hirohide Hamashima said drivers would face a significant tyre management challenge.

In Saturday’s final session, Kubica set the fastest time of 1:37.354, a hundredth ahead of Hamilton. Alonso and Webber were third and fourth. Rosberg slowed suddenly at turn 15 in the closing stages, narrowly avoiding a collision with Alonso; stewards investigated but decided not to penalise Rosberg. Vettel, running onto the grass, ended up sixteenth.

Track changes

The Korea International Circuit is making its Formula One debut. Drivers have given the track a mostly positive reception. Sutil calls it a “real pleasure” with “a lot of character.” Schumacher says the surface improved through the Friday sessions and finds it “very demanding and tricky.” Kubica’s sole criticism is that the first sector is “boring”; he rates the overall layout “ten times better than Abu Dhabi.” Several drivers raised concerns about the pit entry at turn 17, a corner taken at 240 km/h; Trulli says he was “worried about someone going into the back of him” when he was forced to pit.