12/10/2011
Hyo Won Kim, a CFD Aerodynamist for LRGP and former Engineering graduate at the University of Cambridge, arrived in Enstone back in March of last year. Beginning his Enstone career in the same year as the Korean Grand Prix was a case of good timing for both parties and, as the 30 year-old explains, he was only too happy to be a part of the Korean F1 experience…
Growing up in Korea, did you dream of the day your own country would host a race?
I didn’t know a great deal about F1 while I was growing up in Korea. Some of the sport’s milestones were reviewed on sports news but there wasn’t a way of getting to know F1 that well. Before coming to England, I had lived in Sri Lanka which is another country where F1 is an unknown quantity. So, it wasn’t really until after I came to England that I got to know what F1 was all about. In fact, it was in the early 2000s when, funnily enough, I saw former Renault F1 cars proudly carrying logos of Hanjin – a large shipping company from Korea. Since then I have longed to see more Korean involvement in the sport. Little did I know that we will be racing in Korea a decade later!
Were you proud when you heard your home country was going to join the F1 map?
I was extremely proud. I remember reading about it in the press before I joined LRGP. I was a researcher in academia back then, and that was about when I had set my sight on pursuing a career in F1. It was hugely exciting news for me at the time. It was particularly good to see Korea joining the likes of Japan and China in the world of F1. Japan enjoys the most mature motorsport industry in the whole of Asia, whilst China continues to be a regular fixture on the F1 calendar. So for Korea to host a Grand Prix (and more in the future) – is a sure sign of an emerging nation in the making. I think the country will have a growing presence in F1 and I cannot wait to see the full potential.
Working at the race must have been very special – what was your role?
It was extremely special. My main role was to work closely with Geoff Simmonds, our Race Team Co-ordinator, making sure that the days leading up to and during the race weekend were running as smoothly as possible. It was quite an eye opener to witness how much work goes into a race ‘weekend’ even before the cars are assembled for first practice. There is a long list of things that require meticulous preparation in order to run F1 cars over the weekend. I had to make sure that nothing got lost in translation. Of course, the knowledge of Korean work ethics and mannerisms came in very handy too! This meant my role was stretched beyond the job description – and before I knew it, I was sorting out express laundry of the drivers’ overalls as well as operating their Korean language-only sat nav!
How successful do you think the race was?
Very successful. The race was immensely exciting due to the rain and I think it was very well received by the public. F1 has definitely left a lasting impression on the Korean fans. The organisers have done a sterling job in getting the facility race-ready in time, despite delays and much speculation in the process. However, it was apparent that there was room for some improvement with the off-track facilities in the area. Knowing how quickly the Koreans can turn these things around, I’m eager to see how it has evolved since last year.
How important is it for F1 – with its ‘global sport’ tag- to come to countries such as Korea?
F1 is undoubtedly a global sport. Whilst the sport is already massively popular in Europe, there are other corners of the world that are just waking up to F1 or other countries that just can’t get enough of it. I think it’s very important for the sport to reach out to these parts of the world to nurture their growing interest. Not only will it broaden the fan base but it could also attract sponsors and talents – in drivers, engineers, and others – from a wider pool. It can only be good for the sport in the long run.
Credit: Lotus Renault GP (www.lotusrenaultgp.com)
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