Korea boss confident GP will be a hit

A report in German magazine Focus last week suggested that the South Korean event was doubtful for this year - but the claims were dismissed by race organisers and Ecclestone who flew into the venue last week.

Now Yung Cho Chung, the CEO and president of race organisers KAVO, thinks that these assurances over the race's future will serve to silence doubters.

Speaking to AUTOSPORT about why there had been so much scepticism about the Korean event happening, Chung said: "I remember when Turkey was new, exactly the same thing happened. And now, like last year, when there was Abu Dhabi, exactly the same stories came around.

"This week we have heard these stories about us, and I am actually now quite thankful because in the last week everybody is now interested in the race and it has switched back that it is definitely happening.

"Bernie Ecclestone was there and he clarified everything, so I have to thank him!"

Chung says that the F1 circuit is now 79 per cent complete - and has revealed that the venue will establish its own identity on the calendar.

"Korea is very strong on telecommunications, with companies like LG and Samsung," he said.

"Our circuit and grandstands will have beacons like old style signal [transmitters]. Around the world it is sad that so many circuits look similar, but when you come to Korea you will recognise it as being the Korean track."

Chung says that the circuit's infrastructure and organisational plans for getting equipment and cars into the venue had been approved by Formula One Management, and he played down any talk that there were not enough hotel rooms near the venue to house the F1 circus.

"I always say that people will have to bring their own tents," he joked about the accommodation stories. "No seriously, there is no problem. We have the new airport and you can fly right down there. We also have express railways that are only three hours from Seoul.

"Mr. Ecclestone was at our circuit and we were having lunch in the hotel, and Mr. Ecclestone turned around and could see that the circuit was only three minutes away! There are lots of rooms around there, and enough hotels."