From GMM
F1's travelling circus is arriving in South Korea, and the first reports are mixed.
BBC television anchor Jake Humphrey summed up the Yeongam venue as satisfactory but "far from finished".
"Things look pretty ready to go, with some beauty work still to be finished but the main structure is ready," said Virgin driver Lucas di Grassi.
Others talked about their long journeys from the huge Seoul airport to Mokpo, the closest city to Yeongam, in the impressive high-speed KTX train with free wi-fi.
Photographer Darren Heath was less impressed with the journey, tackled by many in buses. "F1 in Seoul? Nah, let's have it in the middle of nowhere 100s of miles from anywhere," he wrote on Twitter.
Reportedly so unimpressed was Williams with the local accommodation on offer that the British team has committed to a 3 hour round trip every day in order to stay in a nicer hotel.
Veteran Swiss correspondent Roger Benoit, writing in Blick newspaper, said the F1 track itself is an "enormous construction site".
"Dominating the venue are the excavators, debris and waste. I'm already looking forward to the final races in Sao Paulo and Abu Dhabi!" wrote Roger Benoit, who said a bridge over the front straight is still littered with scaffolding and hard-hatted workers.
Sauber's team manager Beat Zehnder complained about the cost of the team buildings, with the rent costing $40,000. "Whoever wants to use the upper floor must pay another 20,000, but everyone has decided to just use the ground floor!" he said.
Germany's Auto Motor und Sport said rolling machines are still working on the recently-laid top surface of asphalt, with the paint for the starting grid yet to be sprayed.
"Only on Friday will we know whether the surface will withstand the stresses of formula one cars. Everything on the sandy site is under construction. Next to the pitlane is a large pile of sand. Whoever didn't know that F1 is running here in a few days would think it's not happening until next year," read the report.
German Sky television pundit Marc Surer reports in Speed Week that the seating in some grandstands is not complete.
"Much remains to be done, but as for the track itself, I am surprised that it is ready. Whether it can withstand hours of practice and racing, however, is another question," he said.
Korea's plans for a futuristic city to be built in the middle of the new formula one circuit in Yeongam are on track. According to the local Korea Herald newspaper, the government announced on Monday that it has approved plans for the leisure-themed corporate city.
The $1.67 billion plans, to transform the area into a motor sport and tourism city by 2021, were lodged by the provincial authorities and race promoter Korea Auto Valley Operation. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said construction is likely to start in the second half of 2011.
The plans for the final section of the 5.6 kilometre is layout are grandiose. The idea is that the Hermann Tilke-penned venue will eventually be part-permanent and partly a city street course.
F1's travelling circus is arriving in South Korea, and the first reports are mixed.
BBC television anchor Jake Humphrey summed up the Yeongam venue as satisfactory but "far from finished".
"Things look pretty ready to go, with some beauty work still to be finished but the main structure is ready," said Virgin driver Lucas di Grassi.
Others talked about their long journeys from the huge Seoul airport to Mokpo, the closest city to Yeongam, in the impressive high-speed KTX train with free wi-fi.
Photographer Darren Heath was less impressed with the journey, tackled by many in buses. "F1 in Seoul? Nah, let's have it in the middle of nowhere 100s of miles from anywhere," he wrote on Twitter.
Reportedly so unimpressed was Williams with the local accommodation on offer that the British team has committed to a 3 hour round trip every day in order to stay in a nicer hotel.
Veteran Swiss correspondent Roger Benoit, writing in Blick newspaper, said the F1 track itself is an "enormous construction site".
"Dominating the venue are the excavators, debris and waste. I'm already looking forward to the final races in Sao Paulo and Abu Dhabi!" wrote Roger Benoit, who said a bridge over the front straight is still littered with scaffolding and hard-hatted workers.
Sauber's team manager Beat Zehnder complained about the cost of the team buildings, with the rent costing $40,000. "Whoever wants to use the upper floor must pay another 20,000, but everyone has decided to just use the ground floor!" he said.
Germany's Auto Motor und Sport said rolling machines are still working on the recently-laid top surface of asphalt, with the paint for the starting grid yet to be sprayed.
"Only on Friday will we know whether the surface will withstand the stresses of formula one cars. Everything on the sandy site is under construction. Next to the pitlane is a large pile of sand. Whoever didn't know that F1 is running here in a few days would think it's not happening until next year," read the report.
German Sky television pundit Marc Surer reports in Speed Week that the seating in some grandstands is not complete.
"Much remains to be done, but as for the track itself, I am surprised that it is ready. Whether it can withstand hours of practice and racing, however, is another question," he said.
Korea's plans for a futuristic city to be built in the middle of the new formula one circuit in Yeongam are on track. According to the local Korea Herald newspaper, the government announced on Monday that it has approved plans for the leisure-themed corporate city.
The $1.67 billion plans, to transform the area into a motor sport and tourism city by 2021, were lodged by the provincial authorities and race promoter Korea Auto Valley Operation. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said construction is likely to start in the second half of 2011.
The plans for the final section of the 5.6 kilometre is layout are grandiose. The idea is that the Hermann Tilke-penned venue will eventually be part-permanent and partly a city street course.