Seoul (KR), 4th October 2008. The BMW Sauber F1 Team marked a rather
special debut in South Korea on Saturday when Nick Heidfeld became the
first Formula One driver ever to clock up mileage in an F1 car in South
Korea’s capital, Seoul. Along a closed-off section in the Samsung-dong
area of the city, the German racing driver was cheered by an estimated
20,000 spectators who had come to watch his demo drive.
On Sunday, the BMW Sauber F1 Team will be putting on another show in
Gwang-ju. This city lies in the South Korean province of Jeollanam-do,
where there are plans to host a Formula One race in the future. From
there, Heidfeld will continue on to Japan for the Grand Prix to be held
in Fuji on 12th October.
In Seoul, Heidfeld blasted up and down a half-kilometre strip five
times, leaving behind lingering smoke clouds after each scorching
U-turn. “It was great fun, particularly as we’re not allowed to do any
donuts on the race tracks,” said the man from Mönchengladbach. “And the
spectators seemed to enjoy the show as well. I just love the sheer
enthusiasm of the Asians. South Korea was unknown territory for me, but
the delight of the fans, who were literally squealing, is just as
evident here as in Japan, our next stop.”
The event was staged on the initiative of the Korea Auto Valley
Operation (KAVO). KAVO is a joint venture between the government of
Jeollanam-do Province and the promoter M-Bridge Holdings. The circuit
plans were presented at a press conference. |