The championship has been decided, and Japan got to do the honours, but the season did not end in Suzuka. We still have four races to go, and this back to back weekend sees Formula One head to Korea – one of the newer circuits on the grid. Last year was our first experience of F1 around the Korean circuit, where we saw an unfinished circuit, and an awful lot of rain. Hopefully, this year will be a little less chaotic and a little more fantastic.

Event Schedule

Despite what the above map might suggest, the circuit is actually in existence, and will play host to 24 drivers as they head rapidly towards the end of the 2011 season. Vettel will be keen to drive his first weekend as a double world champion, whilst Japan GP winner Jenson Button is determined to add more wins to his tally this year.

We need to keep an eye on the battle between Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa, as it’s turning into a bigger rivalry than I ever expected it to.

I’ll also be keeping a firm eye on the battle between Renault, Sauber and Force India battle, as the three teams are keeping the Constructor’s Championship alive right now – particularly the latter two, who will both go into this race desperate for some much-needed points.

The Weather

The long range weather forecasts have sunshine for most of the weekend, with clouds starting to creep in as the weekend draws to a close.

Circuit Map

Credit: FIA

Korean International Circuit Map

The Circuit

One of the key factors that could play a part in the action over the weekend is the track surface itself. We know the Pirelli tyres are keen on spreading their marbles across the floor, and last year, with such brand new tarmac, there wasn’t as much grip as the teams had hoped for.

I don’t know how much the track is used when not hosting F1, I imagine not an awful lot, so whilst this is the second year of use for the tarmac, it’s probably still going to be a green surface for the drivers to deal with.

The pit lane is almost 400 metres long, and the loss is somewhere around the 23 seconds mark. My favourite Korean statistic is the average safety cars per race. That would be three. 2010 has a lot to answer for.

Tyre Compounds

Supersoft and soft compounds