02/10/2013
NEWS STORY
The Korean Grand Prix takes place on Sunday at the Korea International Circuit in Yeongam for the fourth time. In the three Grands Prix so far, there have been more Safety Car periods (5) than race leaders (2, Vettel and Alonso). The 2012 Korean Grand Prix featured just 34 overtaking manoeuvres, the second fewest of the season after Monaco. One third of the 18 corners at Yeongam are taken at below 100 kph - a higher figure than at the Hungaroring.
Nico Rosberg: I like the layout of the Korea International Circuit very much. It's a good combination of long straights and hairpins where it is ideal to overtake. There is also a very fast flowing section with many linked corners round the back which is a big driving challenge. I hope we can achieve a strong team result in Korea to improve our position in the championship and we will all be pushing very hard to achieve this.
Lewis Hamilton: I'm looking forward to getting to Korea this week and going racing again. I've had a couple of decent results at the Korea International Circuit over the past three years and I do enjoy the circuit layout. It's a good racing track with places that you can attack to overtake which makes it a good challenge for the drivers. We'll be hoping to improve our qualifying performance this weekend to give the best possible chance in the race and I hope we can have a strong weekend in Korea.
Ross Brawn: This will be our fourth visit to the Korea International Circuit and the first race of an intense period with six Grands Prix in just eight weeks before the end of the season. The track itself has a reasonably slow layout but is a good challenge for the cars and drivers. The long straights at the start of the lap are followed by a tight and twisty second half which is closely pinned in by the walls. Our focus for the last few races is very much to improve and then retain our position in the Constructors' Championship and to end the season on a high. Of course, we would love another race win but consistency and strong points finishes to achieve our aim are more important for the team and both of our drivers.
Toto Wolff: In the three races since the summer break, our team has scored an average of 20 points per Grand Prix. But it's a measure of our expectations now that we have left each circuit disappointed that we didn't achieve even more. That's a feeling we'll be looking to change this weekend. The Yeongam circuit is a combination of long straights and mainly slow to medium-speed corners that should suit our car, which will also receive an aerodynamic update for this race. We have six races to go this season and a clear target of securing second place in the Constructors' Championship. To achieve that, we need to maximise every opportunity that comes our way with both Nico and Lewis, beginning this weekend.