"What is this, is it already over?"
2 p.m. on the 12th at the AMG Speedway circuit in Everland, Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. As the first run by Formula One (F1) active driver Valtteri Bottas began, sighs rose from spectators who had been filming the circuit with phones and cameras. The F1 car (race car), roaring from afar, seemed to briefly slow in the corner section, then vanished from sight in an instant.
An F1 show run (demonstration driving event) was held at the circuit that day. It was the first F1 show run in Korea in 13 years since Red Bull's Jamsu Bridge event in Seoul in 2012. The last time an F1 race car ran on a Korean circuit was the F1 Korean Grand Prix in Yeongam, South Jeolla Province, in 2013. About 30,000 spectators gathered to see the highlight of the event, Bottas's F1 race car (Mercedes-AMG F1 W13 E Performance) run.
Bottas is currently serving as the third driver, a reserve driver, for Mercedes-AMG Petronas, Mercedes-Benz's F1 team. He is a veteran with 10 Grand Prix wins, 20 pole positions (front-most spot on the starting grid), and 67 podiums. From 2017 to 2021, he led the team's golden era with Lewis Hamilton.
That morning, lines for entry stretched long from about 2 kilometers away from the circuit entrance. Most were motorsports fans, including F1, with a wide range of genders and ages. Some wore uniforms or caps of specific F1 teams, including Mercedes, and held placards cheering for Bottas. Some even lined up from the night before to secure good spots.
As F1's popularity soars worldwide, interest in motorsports is also rising in Korea. This is due to the success of Netflix's F1 documentary series Drive to Survive, which has released up to season 7 this year, and the Brad Pitt-led film F1: The Movie.
At a media briefing before the event, Bottas said, "I was surprised to be greeted by so many fans holding placards and wearing team uniforms from the moment I arrived at the airport," adding, "I didn't expect the event to be this big." He went on, "The passion and interest in motorsports in Korea are already sufficient. There is no reason an F1 Grand Prix cannot be held, or for a driver not to emerge."
Incheon City is pursuing a plan to host an F1 Grand Prix in Korea. The idea is to build a downtown street circuit in Songdo International City, like Monaco or Las Vegas in the United States. South Jeolla Province built a dedicated circuit in Yeongam and hosted the F1 Grand Prix from 2010 to 2013, but as financial difficulties deepened, it failed to fulfill the originally planned seven years.
Bottas's first visit to Korea was also for the F1 Grand Prix in Yeongam in 2013. Bottas, who debuted in F1 that year, said, "I had many good experiences in Korea at the time. If a Grand Prix is held, I definitely want to come again," adding, "It would be good if the accessibility issue (from the Yeongam event) that was regrettable could be resolved."
At the venue, cars rarely seen in Korea were displayed throughout, including the Mercedes-Benz 300SL and the Mercedes-Benz SLR Stirling Moss, limited to 75 units worldwide.
Along with the Olympics and the World Cup, F1 is regarded as one of the world's three biggest sports and was first held at Britain's Silverstone Circuit in 1950. It draws an average annual attendance of 4 million and more than 600 million viewers. The Grand Prix travels to around 20 countries each year, and the champion is decided by adding up points by round. This year's season has 24 rounds in total, with 18 completed so far.