» Ecclestone admits to ‘problems’ with new Korea circuit

Bernie Ecclestone has admitted what we already knew: that the venue for the inaugural Korean Grand Prix is far from finished.

A defiant F1 supremo remained adamant that the venue would be race-ready for its debut in just seven weeks time.

“There are problems,” he admitted. “But we assume that the race can take place.

“The circuit is definitely ready, but as for all the buildings, perhaps not,” and later joked: “We may have to put up some tents!”

These comments come in the wake of HRT driver Karun Chandhok – who performed demonstration laps of the circuit in a Red Bull F1 showcar on the weekend – confirming that the venue’s construction is not yet complete.

Photos from the weekend show half-built buildings and grandstands, missing safety fences, unpaved run-off areas and the circuit only surfaced with an initial layer of asphalt.

It is reported that the circuit does not have a full supply of water and electricity, many grandstand seats are not installed and the car parking lots are not yet ready to accommodate the fans who are expected to flock to the circuit in late October.

Germany’s Bild newspaper cried: “How can a Grand Prix take place here?”, as it captioned a picture of a construction worker carrying materials in front of a backdrop of a half-built building.

[Original image via Bild and DigiBet]