Monday, December 13, 2010

"Korea. Korea? KOREA??!!" wins award for F1 race of the year.

That's how one journalist responded to news of South Korea winning a Promoters' Award for its F1 in Yeongam county: the event at a facility that didn't pass inspection, that gave away thousands of free tickets it didn't have, that didn't have adequate accommodation, and that keeps itself in the newspapers through its organizers' alleged corruption. From F1Planet.com, via a reader message:
The Korean Grand Prix received the Race Promoters' trophy at the FIA's annual awards gala in Monaco on Friday night.

For long periods it appeared that the inaugural Korean GP may not go ahead, with concerns as to whether or not the circuit would be ready in time. However, with the race a success, the efforts of the organisers have now been recognised.

"It is a great honour to receive this award on behalf of all of those involved in the first Korean Grand Prix," said Yung Cho Chung of the Korea Automobile Racing Association.

Motorsport.com has covered two correspondents' reactions:
"Korea. Korea? KOREA??!! I must have been somewhere else," remarked The Times correspondent Kevin Eason on Twitter.

Added Byron Young, F1 correspondent for the Daily Mirror: "The Korean GP, complete with event and flight chaos, shoddy hotels and things I won't mention, won the race promotor's trophy. Why?"

Eason also wrote:
Apologies late on the case but been treated by medics for confusion. Apparently Korea won FIA race promoter of the year. Where's my pills?

5 comments:

chuck said...

what???? i've heard F1 is almost as corrupt as FIFA or the IOC guess this proves it. Wonder how much in bribes were paid for that one

unbelievable

Puffin Watch said...

Yeah, I echo chuck's sentiments. Cash 'n' Korean hookers can buy you a lot of fancy Lucite trophies.

Darth Babaganoosh said...

What a load of horseshit.

Chris in South Korea said...

Even assuming there were bribes involved, what's gained? A bit of 'halo effect' for next year's event?

This may be about as appropriate as Obama winning the Peace Prize.

Anonymous said...

It's a grand conspiracy to keep Korea in the news. There was the G20 meetings, there was the North Korean attack, there's this F1 thing.

Expect something groundbreaking just before Xmas. Perhaps the discovery of a kimchi-based lifeform. Or that SuperJesus came to Korea and fought the Japanese.